Hwange Sanyati Biological Corridor Project: Wood Drying Kiln Activity ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN (ESMP) Compiled by BSES Consultants, Bulawayo SEPTEMBER 2019 Page 2 Executive Summary Forestry Commission (FC) is currently implementing one of the Hwange Sanyati Biological Corridor Project (HSBCP) components dedicated to improving forestry and land management. HSBCP seeks to support the ecological health of the biological corridor through a series of interventions to strengthen the land use and resource management capacity of managers and communities. This was achieved through implementing partners that include Forestry Commission, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (PWMA) and the Community Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) Association with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as the executing agent. The project is financed by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and administered through the World Bank. The HSBCP has an Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF), a Process Framework (PF) and an Indigenous Peoples Planning Framework (IPF). The Forestry Component supports improved forest and wildlife management in Zimbabwe. Under the auspices of the project, FC has acquired a wood kiln dryer as a key strategy to enhance Zimbabwe’s competitive advantage in indigenous timber production. Mukwa (Pterocarpus angolensis), teak (Baikiaea plurijuga) and mahogany (Afzelia quanzensis) and Rose wood (Guibortia coleosperma) will be harvested and dried in the kiln. The timber will be sourced from Gwaai forest that does not have any community living in it. There are therefore no tenure related issues with communities. In compliance with the Environmental Management Act, Chapter 20:27, and the World Bank Operational Policy 4.01 Environmental Assessment, this Environment and Social Management Plan (ESMP) governs control and mitigation of the environmental and social risks associated with the construction and installation of the kiln. This ESMP is an environmental and social safeguards management Page 3 instrument under the HSBCP Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF). The ESMF provides an analysis of environmental and social risks of the HSBCP as well as a set of procedures and approaches that guide the overall management of these risks in the project as guided by national policies and laws as well as World Bank safeguard policies and guidelines. The main impacts identified include those associated with Gwaai Forest as the source of the timber and the site-specific impacts where the kiln will be installed. Source forest impacts of concern are deforestation, possible erosion of fragile Kalahari sands and the occupational health and safety of workers extracting timber in Gwaai forest. The bulk of the trees contained in this forest is of high commercial value (teak, mukwa, mahogany and rosewood) as indicated in the harvesting plan for block K of Gwaai Forest Reserve. See Annex 5. The main impacts of concern associated with the kiln installation are the minor, temporary site-specific impacts from preparing the small concrete foundation upon which the kiln will be erected as well as health and safety of the workers during construction, installation and actual kiln operation. It is worth noting that the kiln will be installed within the premises of an existing sawmill in Gwaai forest. The main concerns during operation of the kiln will again be health and safety of the workers with respect to sawdust, smoke from wood off cuts firing the boiler, dust from use of existing gravel access roads in dispatching the kiln-dried timber. Key to note is that there are no indigenous peoples or physical cultural property in the project impacted zones. The Forest Management Plan addresses most of the mitigation measures and monitoring that will be followed with respect to impacts on Gwaai forest from which timber will be extracted. Only selected trees from the target species will be cut according to the Harvesting Plan. There will not be any clear cutting that would lead to degradation of land and soils of the fragile Kalahari sand ecosystems, which house much of the teak and mukwa species to be harvested. Kiln related construction concerns will be mitigated by use of personal protective Page 4 and safety equipment (PPE) such as masks and boots to be supplied by FC. Kiln related operational impacts will also be mitigated by worker use of PPE and an EMA licensed and regulated smokestack or chimney that will prevent smoke or soot from being released into the atmosphere within acceptable EMA levels. Noting the non-hazardous nature of the emissions (ash, smoke, water vapor) coming from burning of the wood offcuts for powering the boiler, scrubbers will be used for pollution abatement. The project produces environmental benefits, among others, in that it will use the timber offcuts from the sawmill to power the kiln. Project affected peoples and entities, including workers, may register complaints using the FC Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM). Such parties can also lodge complaints with the HSBCP Grievance Redress Mechanisms (GRM), WWF- Zimbabwe (as the executing agency of the HSBCP) and the World Bank until project close out on 30 December 2019. While other monitoring entities, as specified under the Environmental and Social Management Plan such as EMA, the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), the Ministry of Health, etc. are responsible for conducting routine inspections, Forestry Commission has the main oversight in implementation and self- monitoring of this ESMP. The HSBCP PIU will also oversee implementation of this ESMP until the end of 2019. This ESMP was publicly consulted with key stakeholders in the Lupane District Development Committee on the 25th of June 2019. The project was welcomed as a value addition and beneficiation programme with special mention of safety related issues including protective clothing for the workers. A record of the meeting proceedings will be available for public viewing in accordance with the EMA Act. Hard copies of this ESMP will be available at all levels including the Forestry Commission Head Office, provincial offices and on the kiln site itself at Forest Hill in Gwaai to facilitate training and familiarisation with the impact monitoring Page 5 mechanisms proposed and put in place. The Forestry Commission website also houses the HSBCP ESMF and a link to the ESMP can be created once approved. Page 6 Table of Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................................. 3 1. Introduction ..................................................................................................................................................... 9 2.Project Background ........................................................................................................................................ 10 2.1 Project Rationale ..................................................................................................................................... 12 2.2 Financial implications .............................................................................................................................. 14 2.3 Gazetted Forests...................................................................................................................................... 15 2.4 Forest Source of Timber .......................................................................................................................... 17 2.5 Timber Processing ................................................................................................................................... 20 3.Legal, Administrative and Policy Requirements ............................................................................................. 22 3.1 National Policies, Laws and Regulations ................................................................................................. 22 3.2 World Bank Requirements ...................................................................................................................... 22 4.Detailed Activity Description .......................................................................................................................... 23 5: Impact Identification ..................................................................................................................................... 27 6 Environment and Social Management Mitigation Plan ................................................................................. 30 7. Environmental Monitoring Plan .................................................................................................................... 89 8.Decommissioning Plan ................................................................................................................................... 99 9.Public Consultation and Disclosure ................................................................................................................ 99 10. Project Implementing Arrangements ........................................................................................................ 100 11. Budgetary Arrangements .......................................................................................................................... 101 12. Institutional and Reporting Arrangements................................................................................................ 102 Annex 1: Site Screening Checklist .................................................................................................................... 104 Annex 2: Environmental and Social Checklist.................................................................................................. 107 Annex 3: Field Appraisal Form ......................................................................................................................... 114 Annex 4: Gwaai Forestland Zimbabwe Profile of the Demarcated/Gazzeted Area ....................................... 120 Annex 5: Harvesting Plan For Block K Gwaai Forest Reserve .......................................................................... 137 Annex 6: Medical Emergency Response Procedure ........................................................................................ 143 Annex 7: National Policy, Laws and Regulations Governing the Project ................................. 143 Annex 8: World Bank Requirements ............................................................................................................... 148 Annex 9: Grievance Redress Mechanism for Forestry Commission ................................................................ 153 Page 7 Annex 10: Grievance Redress Mechanism for the Hwange-Sanyati Biological Corridor Project .................... 162 Annex 11: Solid Waste Management Plan ...................................................................................................... 166 Annex 12: ESMP Preparers .................................................................................................................... 168 Figure 1: Zimbabwe`s gazzeted indegenous forest …………………………………………………………………………………. 15 Figure 2: Wood drying Kiln diagram…………………………………………………………………………………………………………24 Figure 3: Process flow diagram for the wood kiln …………………………………………………………………………………..26 Page 8 ACRONYMS AIDS Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome CAMPFIRE Community Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources DA District Administrator EHS Environmental, Health, and Safety EMA Environmental Management Agency ESMP Environmental and Social Management Plan FC Forestry Commission HFN Harare Forest Nursery HIV Human immunodeficiency Virus. HSBCP Hwange Sanyati Biological Corridor Project KD Kiln Dried LRDC Lupane Rural District Council NMMZ National Museum and Monument of Zimbabwe NSSA National Social Security Authority OHS Occupational Health and Safety PPE/C Personal Protective Equipment/Clothing PWMA Parks and Wildlife Management Authority REDD+ Reduced Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation. RTE&V Rare, Threatened, Endangered and Vulnerable species SFM Sustainable Forest Management STIs Sexually transmitted infections WMP Waste Management Plan WWF World Wildlife Fund for Nature ZETDC Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company ZINWA Zimbabwe National Water Authority ZRP Zimbabwe Republic Police 1. Introduction Forestry Commission (FC) is currently implementing one of the Hwange Sanyati Biological Corridor Project (HSBCP) components dedicated to improving forestry and land management. HSBCP seeks to support the ecological health of the Hwange Sanyati Biological Corridor through a series of interventions to strengthen the land use and resource management capacity of managers and communities. This was achieved through implementing partners that include Forestry Commission, the Environmental Management Agency (EMA), the Parks and Wildlife Management Authority (PWMA) and the Community Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE) Association with World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) as the executing agent. Page 9 Under the auspices of the project, FC has acquired a wood kiln dryer as a key strategy to enhance Zimbabwe’s competitive advantage in indigenous timber production. Mukwa(Pterocarpus angolensis), teak (Baikiaea plurijuga) and mahogany (Afzelia quanzensis) and rosewood (Guibortia coleosperma) will be harvested and dried in the kiln. The timber will be sourced from Gwaai forest. See harvesting plan in Annex 5 for the Gwaai Forest Reserve. In compliance with the Environmental Management Act, Chapter 20:27, and the World Bank Operational Policy 4.01 Environmental Assessment, this Environment and Social Management Plan (ESMP) governs control and mitigation of the environmental and social risks associated with the construction and installation of the kiln. This ESMP is an environmental and social safeguards management instrument under the HSBCP Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF). The ESMF is an analysis of environmental and social risks of the HSBCP as well as a set of procedures and approaches that guide the overall management of these risks in the project as guided by the World Bank and national policies and laws. While other monitoring entities as specified under the Environmental Management Plan (EMA, NSSA, Ministry of Health etc.) are responsible for conducting routine inspections, Forestry Commission has oversight in implementation and monitoring of this ESMP. 2. Project Background The Government of Zimbabwe is implementing a Global Environment Facility (GEF-5) funded Hwange Sanyati Biodiversity Corridor Project (HSBCP) which started in 2015. The project covers an area of 5.7 million ha in the north western part of the country. Its overall objective is “to develop land use and resource management capacity of managers and communities in the HSBCP of Zimbabwe”. One of the HSBC project components is to improve forestry and land management. The forestry component supports improved forest and wildlife Page 10 management as well as REDD+ activities as a tool for good forest stewardship in Zimbabwe (World Bank 2014). As one of the project’s strategic focus on Sustainable Forest Management (SFM), the project purchased a kiln as a key value addition proposition and a control and monitoring measure for harvesting of the hard wood timber. Indigenous hardwood timber mainly teak, mukwa, rosewood and mahogany are of very high value if compared to pine. It is used to manufacture furniture, flooring, decking, staircases and other products mainly targeting the elite community. This timber takes a long time to mature, at least 160 years to get to exploitable maturity. It is a natural resource that needs to be exploited sustainably and value added to beneficiate the nation. The Government of Zimbabwe put up a statutory instrument (SI) that prohibits the exporting of raw indigenous hardwood preferring it to be value added to fetch a premium price. This hardwood timber is one of Zimbabwe’s natural resource with potential to earn the country foreign currency if it is sustainably exploited and value added. The Forestry Commission invests a lot of resources annually to conserve and protect them against poaching, destruction by fires and agents of deforestation. It therefore needs to unlock the potential in this resource and gain maximum returns from the efforts put to conserve these vast forest resources through sustainable harvesting, efficient utilisation and selling at the right price commensurate with its value. The Zimbabwe Government’s 10-Point Plan for Economic Growth, Point-2 speaks to ‘Advancing Beneficiation and/or Value Addition to our Agricultural and Mining resource endowment’. Forestry Commission saw the potential locked in this timber resource but lacked capacity to unlock it. The Government has since stopped providing funding for operations and capital investments in parastatals like FC encouraging them to enter into revenue generating activities to sustain themselves. It is against this background that FC considers exploring Page 11 opportunities along the hardwood line from the exploited resource in the Matabeleland region. 2.1 Project Rationale Forestry Commission currently harvests the hardwood timber from and processes it into sawn timber at Gwaai sawmill in Matabeleland North. The timber produced is sold as wet-off sawn timber at the sawmill and through the retail outlet-Harare Forest Nursery (HFN). On the market, preference is skewed in favour of Kiln Dried (KD) timber that costs on average $1200/m3, about 85% more than the average retailing price for wet-off saw of $650.00/m3. Forestry Commission has identified one key area requiring attention in the hardwood business value chain where great opportunities are missed. • Forestry Commission has failed to capture the hardwood market due to failure to supply kiln dried timber. All the timber produced is sold to local manufacturers some of whom export finished products like flooring and decking. • It requires at least 3 months to air dry the timber which does not even effectively reach the ideal 12% Equilibrium Moisture Content (EMC). Some sales opportunities are lost through holding timber for three months for it to dry compared to only 2 to 4 weeks to dry in the kilns. Air dried timber therefore requires a longer production planning horizon. • Selling wet-off sawn timber in the market is contrary to the kiln dried timber preference meaning FC is not meeting customer expectations. • Drying timber in the open air exposes it to potential wood borer infestation as the weevils lay eggs inside the timber only to hatch later inside the manufactured product. The current methods being applied to the exploitation of timber resource leads to a fast depletion of this valuable resource. If this escalates, the organisation will Page 12 continue to offer logging concessions to people who harvest this timber unsustainably leading to depletion. In spite of the above, the processed timber is then sold wet at a price far below the value of the product. Wet timber is currently selling at an average of $650.00/m3 yet dry timber can fetch about $1200.00/m3. The low price leads to unsustainable cost to the operations. The danger is that manufacturer’s will likely look for alternatives like veneer, bamboo or other wood, like Miranda from the Asian countries instead of Zimbabwean timber. Therefore, a policy position to sell KD timber can only be supported by installing a timber dryer. Properly drying timber improves its workability qualities like plannability, glue- ability and other wood working characteristics. Reduced wood-working challenges improve output for manufacturers thus cutting on production cost. Scale of economies result in lower product price offering thus creating a competitive advantage for Zimbabwean wood manufactured products. Noting hardwood timber is finite and the slow-going nature of the resource, there is therefore need to scale down harvesting and maximize returns from the available resource. Traditionally, the Forestry Commission has been selling hardwood in log form and as rough sawn wet off-saw timber, forms that do not fetch high prices. Some areas with harvestable timber are given to concessionaires thereby creating internal competition to the Commission. This hardwood timber of mainly Teak, Mukwa, Rosewood and Pod Mahogany, has a higher value than pine. It is used to manufacture furniture and other products mainly targeting the elite community. This timber takes a long time to mature (at least 160 years to get to maturity). It is a natural resource that needs to be exploited sustainably and value added to optimally benefit the nation at the same time economizing on its use through fine processing. Kiln drying is one way to unlock this potential to enable Forestry Commission to gain maximum returns from the efforts put to conserve these vast forest resources. Page 13 Air-drying timber increases inventory costs for the manufacturer, in addition to higher haulage costs of transporting moisture laden rough-sawn timber. The Forestry Commission has suffered a number of product returns due to timber borer infestation in the past. Sustainable harvesting of the hardwood will allow reinvestment of benefits derived from the project which can be passed on to neighbouring communities as part of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) through employment creation and downstream wood processing industries. One key element of SFM is increased fibre utilisation. With an improvement of drying timber, waste at factories and manufacturing plants are reduced as proper drying of timber reduces timber defects that are normally associated with open air drying. Local timber millers operating in rural council areas will also benefit from the drying facility which will become a revenue line for the equipment by drying the timber for a fee. Currently companies that are offering drying services charge in excess of USD90.00 for every cubic metre of timber dried. In view of the above, the Commission has banned selling wet timber in favour of only KD timber. Increased funds from selling the more valuable kiln dried timber will provide a revenue stream and financial relief to the Forestry Commission which lost government financial support in 1 January 2016. The organization procured a 50m3 capacity timber drier from Nukor based in South Africa to set up its own kilning facilities in Gwaai Forest Reserve alongside an existing saw milling plant. 2.2 Financial implications The cost of the kiln was quoted at USD80 000.00 comprising purchase price, shipping, training and commissioning. Civil works for the base of the kiln, rigging for offloading, local labour, trollies, local travel and accommodation will be co – financed by the proponent (Forestry Commission) and the project. Page 14 There is need for maximizing value from the limited resource through production efficiencies and value addition. Balancing the desire to sustainably manage the resource and the need to generate revenue will call for value addition for maximum beneficiation. 2.3 Gazetted Forests Zimbabwe has 24 gazetted indigenous (native) forests that cover about 800,000 ha. Their size ranges from 567ha (Ungwe) to 144,000ha (Gwaai). The forests were gazetted to control harvesting of commercial indigenous timber species used to produce mine props, railway sleepers, flooring parquets, and furniture, thereby safeguarding the sustainability and contribution of forests to ecosystem systems such as watershed management and provision of non-timber forest products and, increasingly, climate change mitigation. See Figure 1 below which shows Zimbabwe’s gazetted indigenous forests. Figure 1: Zimbabwe `s gazetted indigenous forests Page 15 Some forests are designated for non-consumptive uses, especially those that border national parks or protected areas. Non consumptive forests refer to those forests where there is no harvesting of timber and forests are left to perform their ecosystem functions. With respect to this project, timber that will be kiln dried will be sourced from Gwaai Forest, site 9 in the map shown above. Gwaai is not designated as non- consumptive as it was designated to control illegal harvesting of commercial timber and sustain the hardwood timber industry in Bulawayo. In other words, harvesting is allowed in order to sustain the Bulawayo timber industry. Such timber is harvested following carefully prepared harvesting plans to ensure sustainable management of the resource. The Forestry Commission is the state forestry authority whose mandate is to manage the country’s indigenous forests throughout the country. Timber from these forests is harvested, milled and sold through the Commission’s timber outlets. While there has not been enough effort at value-addition leading to Forestry Commission not getting the best value for this unique resource which is highly sought after internationally, the latest national economic blueprint, the Transitional Stabilization Programme (TSP)1, identifies Value Addition and Beneficiation through timber kiln drying as a critical part in indigenous hardwood timber processing as it ensures that such timber is cleansed of any woodborers and other pathogens which would have the effect of depreciating its utility value. 1 The Transition Stabilisation Programme is Zimbabwe`s development strategy which provides quick wins to stimulate economic growth and stabilize the macroeconomic and the financial sectors. The policy is anchored on Vision 2030, which seeks to usher Zimbabwe into an upper- middle class economy by 2030 with a per capita income of US$2018 by 2020 and rising to US$5821 by 2030. Value addition and beneficiation in the timber industry sector is one of the key strategies to achieving this. Page 16 Biodiversity is protected because for any of these species to be harvested, a harvesting plan which contains a cutting plan has to be prepared and used during exploitation of the species. Only species of a certain size are logged and a representative is always left as a seedbank. Selective cutting guided by a cutting plan prevents erosion protecting any source waters. There will not be any clear cutting. See Annex 5. The high costs of managing and exploiting this resource perforce call for production efficiencies, maximum realization of value and improved fibre utilization. 2.4 Forest Source of Timber The Gwaai Forest will supply the timber for this project. It is a gazetted forest meaning it is legally set aside for particular management purposes and is a natural habitat. Gwaai was one of the first two gazetted forests in the country in 1930 under the Land Apportionment Act in order to establish forest reserves and provide funds for protection and for the closer supervision of timber exploitation. This and other Kalahari sand forests were gazetted to offer ecosystem service such as water catchment protection and areas where commercial timber could be harvested. Since teak, mukwa, mahogany and rosewood are the four timber species to be dried in the kiln, Baikiaea plurijuga forests, also known as ‘Kalahari Sand’ forests or ‘Zambezi Teak’ forests are endemic to the Kalahari sand geologic formation in western Zimbabwe. Mukwa, mahogany and rosewood are found along with teak in these forests. The Kalahari forests are endemic to the Kalahari (deep) sands which are found in Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and Botswana. The teak forests are restricted to deep, loose and well-drained Kalahari sands. The protected forests, comprising over 800 000 ha, are managed by the Forestry Commission for the production of commercial timber and wildlife, the protection of the fragile Kalahari sand system and for biodiversity conservation. Page 17 Since they were gazetted the management approach in these forests has consisted mainly in allowing formal public use through licenses and permits only. The management activities include protection from fire, supervision of forest utilization programmes, veldt management to improve wildlife habitat, research on various aspects of the forests, wildlife management, silviculture, control of forest occupants and antipoaching activities.2 Protected KS teak forests perform a number of functions that include the protection of the fragile Kalahari sand, the protection of catchment areas for rivers that pass through the forests and flow into the Zambezi River, the provision of wildlife habitat, the conservation of biological diversity and the provision of timber and non-timber products. The initial motivation for gazetting the forests was to control the wanton harvesting of the commercial indigenous timber species, mainly Baikiaea plurijuga (Zambezi teak) and Pterocarpus angolensis (mukwa). Timber from these species was mainly used to produce railway sleepers, furniture and mine props. Currently the species are commercially used for various forms of flooring, furniture, veneer and plywood. The early objectives of gazetting the forest reserves included (a) a general preservationist ethic that prevailed in colonial times which saw huge forest areas being gazetted as protected areas (McGregor, 1991); (b) the forests were considered to be unique as conservation areas, as they are the only example in the country of extensive forest formations on Kalahari sands (Mujakachi, 1992); (c) gazetting provided for the protection of timber stocks, particularly for the mining industry; and (d) they were also gazetted for the protection of water catchments of the upper reaches of the Gwaai, Umgusa, Bembesi, Gwampa, Shangani, Lutope, Sengwa, Kana and Mbumbusi Rivers and tributaries. These 2 FAO (2007), p ix. Page 18 rivers flow into the Zambezi River.3 Besides timber harvesting, wildlife utilization is currently a major revenue-generating activity in protected forests.4 While the kiln will be installed in Gwaai Forest Reserve where the sawmill already exists, the timber for harvest will also be sourced from the Gwaai Forest itself under the management of Forestry Commission. It is a natural indigenous (i.e. not planted with foreign trees) forest and the timber is harvested on a selective cutting method as a forest management process. The timber is selectively harvested by Forestry Commission to derive value for funding conservation activities and maintenance of the forest. Only trees of commercial value are cut as per cutting plan by the Commission, within prescribed specifications in terms of minimum sizes of trees to be removed and maximum allowable cut to allow the forest to naturally regenerate. This is a management process purposely designed by Forestry Commission for reasons of conservation of the forest. This is a forest under proper management by Forestry Commission, an authority of government responsible for ensuring forest resources are protected and managed sustainably. In this case, only timber species are harvested commercially while all species listed as protected in the Forest Act will not be cut for forest conservation purposes. The harvesting of the timber is part of the global forest management plan for gazzeted forests and these annual plans are already in place. Cutting plans are used to monitor and control harvesting and monitor off take. On a monthly basis progress reports are produced for management consideration, analysis and interventions where necessary. There is provision to allow formal use of Gwaai Forest for cultural activities and ritual activities through the continuous community engagement initiative. This 3 FAO (2007), p 2. 4 FAO (2007), p 3. Page 19 takes into account that these had been in existence before the inception of forest reserves. 2.5 Timber Processing Gwaai Sawmill is a timber milling facility already established within the gazetted forest which is under the management of Forestry Commission. In compliance with the requirements of the policy, this ESMP will focus on how to protect the surrounding area where the kiln will be installed from construction and operation of the kiln and contain controls to ensure that the habitats from which the wood will be taken are not damaged; these will be covered by the ESMP. A sawmill is already in place where timber is being milled and the kiln will be sited at the same place with the mill as an extension of the timber production operation. Standard practice is that the timber should be dried straight from the sawmill for handling reasons, control of variables, sawmill waste (offcuts, the waste left behind after cutting a larger piece) is used to fire the boiler that feeds steam to the kiln. This is a self-contained operation which should ordinarily be established in tandem with timber milling. Noting that hardwood from indigenous forests is a finite resource, issues with respect to controlled exploitation or harvesting become critical. The management of the protected KS teak forests is regulated through forest management prescriptions of properly authorized management plans, which are based on the principle of sustained yield. All management plans are based on qualitative and quantitative data and information gathered by respective foresters for each forest reserve. In forest reserves, where forest inventories have been conducted the management plans are based on inventory results data and information. The forest management plans are prepared on two levels, i.e. the level of the whole forest and the community forestry level. The management plans are Page 20 approved first at the divisional level and secondly at institutional level, where the plans have to fit into strategic goals of the Forest Commission.5 Management activities in the forests include: 1 Forest fire protection; 2 Supervision of forest utilization programmes; 3 Veldt management; 4 Research support on indigenous forests; 5 Wildlife management; 6 Silviculture; 7 Anti-poaching activities; and 8 Community participation. These activities are carried out under the supervision of the respective foresters of each forest reserve. Each forester has a small team of permanent workers that is complemented by casual workers during the fire season. The forest management plan for Gwaai forest is illustrated in Annex 4. 5 FAO (2007) p 14. Page 21 3. Legal, Administrative and Policy Requirements The kiln will be installed and operate in accordance with national laws, relevant WB Safeguard Policies6 and Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines (EHSG)7 which contain reference levels and other practices. 3.1 National Policies, Laws and Regulations The specific legislation, laws and Policies to which the Activity is subject are listed and described in Annex 7. 3.2 World Bank Requirements Since the WB supports the HSBCP, its safeguard policies and Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines apply to this wood drying kiln installation activity. The following safeguard policies are triggered for this Project: OP 4.01 Environmental Assessment, OP 4.04 Natural Habitats, OP 4.10 Indigenous Peoples, OP 4.36 Forests, OP 4.11 Physical Cultural Resources and OP 4.12 Involuntary Resettlement. See Annex 8 for a brief description of each policy. The Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Guidelines most important for this project in the General Guidelines8 are the 1.1 Air Emissions and Ambient Air Quality, 1.3 Wastewater and Ambient Water Quality, 1.6 Waste Management, 1.7 Noise, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) 2.3 Physical Hazards, 2.7 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), 3.2 Structural Safety of Project Infrastructure and OHS under Construction/Decommissioning 4.2 as well as 4.3 Community Health and Safety. The relevant industry specific guidelines include the sawmilling and 6 Found at https://www.worldbank.org/en/projects-operations/environmental-and-social-policies. 7 World Bank Group: International Finance Corporation. General Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines, www.ifc.org/ehsguidelines, April 30, 2007, www.ifc.org/ifcext/enviro.nsf/Content/EnvironmentalGuidelines. 8 World Bank Group: International Finance Corporation. General Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines, www.ifc.org/ehsguidelines, April 30, 2007. Page 22 Wood-based Products Guidelines and Forest Harvesting Operations.910 All EHSG are located online at www.ifc.org/ehsguidelines. 4. Detailed Activity Description Timber will be logged from Gwaai Forest and transported to the sawmill. Standard practice is that the timber should be dried straight from the sawmill for handling reasons, control of variables and utilization of sawmill waste (offcuts) are used to fire the boiler that feeds steam to the kiln will be followed. This is a self-contained operation that will be established in tandem with timber milling. The kiln will be a small unit occupying less than 300m2 of ground space within the timber yard where timber used to be stacked for air drying. A concrete slab foundation 21m long, 9m wide and 1.2m deep in extent, including the stacking/cooling timber shed area, will be erected as a base for the kiln. The kiln dimensions will be 8.7m (long) x 7.4m (wide) x 4.95m (high) on the outside and 8.5m (long) x 7.2m (wide) x 3.85m (high) on the inside. The following components constitute the kiln itself: • Aluminium body outer and inner shell with a stainless steel skeleton structure of 50m3 effective drying capacity kiln. • The kiln chamber has two-way infeed and outfeed design to allow in-feeding from one end and discharge from the other end. • The kiln structure includes a set of fans, booster coils, water pump, pipes for water distribution, and return. • An off cut wood fired steam boiler. 9 World Bank Group: International Finance Corporation. Sawmilling & Manufactured Wood Products Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines, www.ifc.org/ehsguidelines, April 30, 2007. 10 World Bank Group: International Finance Corporation. Forest Harvesting Operations Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines, www.ifc.org/ehsguidelines, April 30, 2007. Page 23 • A computer control system to monitor the drying process. The kiln structure is shown in Figure 2 below. Figure 2: Wood Drying Kiln Diagram Though not computerized, the kiln is to be run on a timed control system. It comes with a hot water boiler system that runs to a maximum temperature of 95 degrees Celsius sufficient to kill all living organisms inside the timber. The hot water circulates by means of a pump through booster coils in the kiln. The kiln drying is a mechanized process of extracting water through pushing hot air in a closed chamber. Fans move the heated air around the wood to evaporate the moisture until it is reduced to a level called an equilibrium moisture content (EMC). No chemicals are needed for the process and there are no by-products of the process as the timber retains its structure, volume and shape. Page 24 When timber is discharged from the kiln chamber after drying it must not be exposed again to the open in order to protect it from weather, rain, direct sun, etc. at the discharge end of the kiln chamber a roof on poles (steel or wooden) is erected to provide the shed for the timber. This is a simple structure to make sure the timber is under cover and protected from weather related damage that will effectively reduce the purchase value of the timber. The kilning facility will be installed at Gwaai Sawmill site at Forest Hill. After the kiln is installed, Nukor, the kiln supplier, will train employees on how to operate the equipment including the safety and related aspects. See Figure 3 which provides a flow chart of the kiln processing. The project will employ an additional ten (10) people to work directly in the kiln processing unit. Page 25 Wet sawn timber, which can be warped when exposed to the elements, prone to pests Pre-existing saw mill and fetches low Staking/Cooling shade in Gwaai Forest with prices used to stake kiln dried an existing borehole Kiln timber as it waits to be as a water source. Drying to sent to the market will Timber harvested This borehole will achieve be built on the same from Gwaai Forest. also supply water to EMC [4] 300m2 [1] the boiler. This site is fenced and has space where the kiln will be installed [2] Cooled water from kiln send back to boiler Steam Boiler which will be powered by By products such as off-cuts and off, cuts & sawdust sawdust [3] Existing Borehole will power the boiler Figure 3: Process Flow Diagram for the Wood Kiln [1] Harvesting and Cutting plans and Forest Management Plans govern the source forests of round wood supply going to the saw mill and kiln. All the source forests are consumptive (meaning they allow harvesting) sustainably managed by the Forestry Commission and timber extraction is conducted following harvesting and cutting plans. [2] The Saw mill in Gwaai forest has been in operation for the past decade processing tree species such as (Teak) Baikiaea plurijuga, (Mukwa) Pterocarpus angolansis and (Mahogany) Afzelia quanzensis. By products (waste) from the saw mill include saw dust and off-cuts which will be used to power the boiler. [3] The wood kiln chamber will be powered by a boiler which will supply the kilning chamber with steam. Saw-dust and wood offcuts from the nearby sawmill will be burnt to heat the boiler and produce steam for the kiln-drying process proper. [4] The kiln-drying is a phased steam-drying process that converts sawn wet timber to dried timer at the equilibrium moisture content (EMC). 5: Impact Identification The kiln dryer activity under HSBCP will have multiple impacts issuing from installation of the dryer, operation of the dryer and the timber extraction. As the kiln will be installed within the premises of an already operating Gwaai sawmill, there are no major concerns on impacts on the flora and fauna of the forest surrounding the site. The major concerns are the health and safety of the workers executing the installation and operation of the kiln. Although the project area where the kiln will be installed is not known to possess any physical cultural resources which include any movable or immovable objects, sites, structures, groups of structures, and natural features and landscapes that have archaeological, paleontological, historical, architectural, religious, aesthetic, or other cultural significance. A chance find procedure is located in the ESMP Mitigation Table 6.1. This ESMP therefore will apply the chance finding procedures to guide the course of action should any physical cultural resources be found. During construction of the foundation and installation of the kiln itself, small amounts of solid waste and liquid waste will be generated. There are larger impacts from the already operating sawmill right next to the proposed kiln site. Longer term impacts from operation of the kiln are of even less concern than the construction as the kiln is not expected to generate any noise in the drying process. The kiln will only dry wood so solid waste will only be produced if the wood input is defective or somehow made unsuitable after drying. Timber off cuts (waste) from the sawmill will be used to fire the boiler and smoke will be generated through burning while ash, a by-product from the burning of the off cuts, will need to be disposed of safely. Again, the major concern is the health and safety of the workers who will operate the kiln. In this respect, safety issues from the boiler and loading of timber onto the trolleys are of great concern. Mitigation measures are highlighted in the plan. Since this operation is within the Gwaai Forest area, a property of the Forestry Commission, it is closed to all outsiders except employees and customers. Since Page 27 there are no communities living in and around Gwaai Forest, there are no impacts on community usage of forest resources. Similarly, there are no chances of any conflict over water consumption. The workers and the plant operation will use borehole or underground water. The other impacts of concern issue from the timber harvesting activities in Gwaai Forest. The hardwood timber to be harvested for this project are the flora species of most ecological importance but they are not considered endangered or threatened by international standards. Similarly, there are no endangered or threatened animal species by international standards that would be impacted by this project’s activities. The timber extraction will have minor impacts on wildlife, forest cover, fire ecology and other aspects of the forests. Although there is a Lake Alice/Gwaai Forests Elephant Corridor, it is far away from where the logging activities in Block K will take place so there should be no impacts on elephants. Possible soil degradation is an impact of concern since unlike other savannah forest and woodland formations, Kalahari teak sand forests are the more fragile forests in the sense that their soils (Kalahari sands) are easily degraded once the vegetation cover is removed.11 The final impact of concern regarding the forest is the occupational health and safety of workers extracting timber. The Forestry Commission has established systems of hazards identification through Behaviour Based Safety (BBS) where workers participate in hazards identification, safety talks and accident investigation mechanisms as prescribed by the Social Security Authority. NSSA is a government arm responsible for safety and workmans’ compensation. There are no Indigenous Peoples in this activity’s areas of influence (the forests). 11 FAO (2007) p39. Page 28 Project site (Within existing Stack yard) Current wood drying method (Air Drying) Proposed Project Site (35k0603864 UTM 7880905) Page 29 6 Environment and Social Management Mitigation Plan The preparation of this ESMP was carried out with special emphasis on impact identification, impact analysis and evaluation, through stakeholder consultation and literature review. A participatory and consultative process for key government departments through public consultation was adopted. A district development committee meeting including key stakeholders such as the District Administrator, council officials, other private sectors in the district was held in June of 2019. Literature review targeted various sub project documents to have a clear understanding of the project activities, location and the environmental receptors that are likely to be impacted. In view of the above project description, the Hwange Sanyati Biodiversity Corridor (HSBC) project Environment and Social Management Framework (ESMF) which outlines the World Bank safeguard policies standards and procedures for the project as well as the local environmental legislation were reviewed for compliance. Reference to checklists in the local environmental guidelines for related projects was made so that the general impacts associated with the proposed project could be identified. A ground truthing exercise was carried out where site consultations were carried out. Impact analysis and evaluation used the impact matrix methodology which includes among other criterion whether the impact is low, medium or high and whether it is positive or negative. The analysis culminated into the formulation of appropriate mitigation or enhancement measures depending on whether the impacts are positive or negative and proposes the institutional responsibilities for monitoring, implementation of the mitigation or enhancement measures, implementation indicators and frequency for monitoring. Risk and opportunities i.e. aspects/hazards and impacts/risks identification was thus conducted through stakeholders consultations, project impacts brainstorming, project process approach review and site screening checklist review (Annex 1). Gwaai Forest is a natural and indigenous forest (meaning native) as opposed to a plantation. Page 30 The timber is harvested on a selective cutting method as a forest management process. The forests are under management by Forestry Commission, an authority of government responsible for ensuring forest resources are protected and managed sustainably. In this case, only timber species are harvested commercially while all species listed as protected in the Forest Act will not be cut for forest conservation purposes. The harvesting of the timber is part of the forest management plan (Annex 4) for Gwaai. Cutting plans are used to monitor and control harvesting. Refer to Annex 5, for a detailed harvesting plan for Gwaai. The area selected for logging, Block K, is far away from the elephant corridor so no elephants should be disturbed. On a monthly basis, progress reports are produced for management consideration, analysis and interventions where necessary. The timber is selectively harvested by Forestry Commission to derive value for the purpose of funding conservation activities and maintenance of the forest. Only trees of commercial value are cut as per cutting plan by the Commission within prescribed specifications in terms of minimum sizes of trees are removed and maximum allowable diameter are cut to allow the forest to naturally regenerate. A Forestry Commission staff trained in species identification will be in charge of selecting which trees are to be felled according to the relevant harvesting plan (example in Annex 5). There will be no clear cutting which would expose the soils to agents of erosion and lead to land degradation and soil erosion, instead selective cutting method is applied. This is a management process purposely designed by Forestry Commission for forest conservation. No indigenous (native) timber is cut without authority from Forestry Commission. There are no flora or fauna of high conservation value in Gwaai Forest and thus there is no concern about important endangered or otherwise threatened species being cut and sent to the kiln. Additionally, any timber received by the kiln must have a movement permit from the Forestry Commission. Page 31 The construction phase is estimated to last 2 weeks. Mitigation for the minor site-specific impacts is presented below in Table 6.1. Page 32 Table 6.1. MITIGATION PLAN Aspect Impact Mitigation Measure Monitoring Responsible Monitoring Indicators / Agency / Frequency Timing Trenching /Site Clearing Vegetation • The site already has existing Daily Forestry EMA destruction sawmill structure running, Commission and Wildlife the kiln purchased will only (Proponent) Habitat be used to mechanically dry Contractor Destruction the sewn timber to increase the market value of the timber. • No additional vegetation clearing took or will take place. Increased • Unnecessary clearing of land Presence of Contractor EMA runoff due to to be prevented drainage Page 33 increase in • Construction of drainage channels impervious channels on all internal roads surfaces to reduce surface runoff and Forestry Forestry soil erosion On going Commission Commission Soil erosion • Provide suitable storm water (Proponent) resulting in drainage channels during site loss of top servicing. soil cover • Control construction and activities during rainy/wet siltation of conditions to control soil the nearby movement and gully stream reclamation. • Re-vegetate exposed surfaces to generate surface covers on the open areas and to control soil movement by erosion agents including water and wind. Page 34 Loading and unloading Noise • Adhere to noise exposure limits. High noise Forestry Ministry of materials, movement of propagated to Noise exposures should not levels to staff Commission Health & Child vehicles workers exceed the legal limits shown at work or (Proponent) Care below: place of Employees - 90dB(A) residence. EMA Residential - 70dB(A) Area - Daytime 55dB(A) Night- Quarterly time • Workers to be provided with appropriate Personal Protective Equipment or Clothing [PPE/C] to include earmuffs • Respond to complaints with regard to noise generation, taking reasonable action to ameliorate the impact; Page 35 Fugitive dust Air pollution • Provide PPE such as dust Amount of dust Forestry Ministry of emissions & from fugitive masks and goggles to workers generated Commission Health & Child Gaseous dust emissions during construction phases. Frequency and (Proponent) Care emissions • Smoke stack will be effectiveness of dust (smoke) constructed and pollution suppression. Construction NSSA Respiratory abatement measure using Complaints from and infections risk scrubbers will be installed by Employees and public Operation EMA to the workers Forestry Commission on availability of PPE • Regular and prompt High vehicle speeds maintenance of construction machinery and equipment. This will minimize generation of suspended particulate matter. • No new access roads planned; existing access roads within the sawmilling premises and all gravel roads should be watered regularly during Page 36 transportation of dried timber in order to reduce dust levels. • Enclose dust generating areas where possible to mitigate effects of wind and hence controlling propagation of dust to other areas. • Limit vehicle speeds during construction e.g. 20km/hr, since the slower the vehicle speed, the less the dust generated. • Apply for a boiler stack emission licence from EMA. Scrubbers are used in the smoke stack/ chimney to absorb pollutants for emission within permissible levels according to EMA standards. Page 37 • Ash is allowed to cool to avoid any fires starting and is disposed at the dumpsite since Working at it is not hazardous. heights falling • Fall prevention and protection risk measures will be implemented whenever a worker is exposed to the hazard of falling more than two meters, into operating machinery; into water or other liquid; or through an opening in a work surface. Fall prevention / protection measures may also be warranted on a case- specific basis when there are risks of falling from lesser heights. Fall prevention may include: • Proper use of ladders and Page 38 scaffolds by trained employees • Use of fall prevention devices, including safety belt and lanyard travel limiting devices to prevent access to fall hazard • area, or fall protection devices such as full body harnesses used in conjunction with shock absorbing lanyards or self- retracting inertial fall arrest devices attached to fixed anchor point or horizontal life-lines • Appropriate training in use, serviceability, and integrity of the necessary PPE12 12 WB EHS General Guidelines, 2007. Page 39 Increase in Road Traffic • Road safety signs and symbols No. and frequency of Forestry Ministry of Traffic Accidents shall be placed at appropriate accidents and trend Commission Transport & points to alert motorists on safety Signage (Proponent) Infrastructural Damage to along the main road and other Safety Stakeholders Development, roads areas were appropriate Complaints Construction Zimbabwe • Ensure driver practice defensive and Republic Police Accelerated soil driving Operation (ZRP) erosion • Identify hazards and mitigate Lupane them EMA • Ensure that all traffic safety measures are put in place. Speed limits shall be enforced for all vehicles approaching the site Surface Poor Surface • During construction and Status of drainage Forestry EMA Drainage Drainage operation, the design of Commission Page 40 System System the drainage system Flooding incidences (Proponent) resulting into should ensure that dampness and surface flow is drained Contractors water suitably to control Quarterly stagnation flooding within the site. Construction which can • The drainage system and favour the should be designed operational breeding of concerning the peak phase disease vectors volumes such as periods such as or seasons when there is mosquitoes high intensity of rainfall. They should never at any time be full due to the resulting heavy downpours. • Drainage system should be regularly maintained and repaired to avoid point discharge in case of Page 41 breach or blockages. • The drainage channels should ensure the safe final disposal of run-off /surface water and should be self-cleaning which means it should have a suitable gradient. • Drainage channels should also be installed in all areas that will generate or receive surface water such as car parking, driveways and along the building block-edges of the roofs. The channels should be covered with gratings or other suitable and approved materials to Page 42 prevent occurrence of accidents and entry dirt that would compromise flow of run-off. • Storm water generated from roof catchments should be harvested, stored and made use in various project activities such as general cleaning. Construction Accidents & • Identify and demarcate the extent The number & Forestry NSSA Activities Occupational of the site and associated Works Severity of accidents, Commission Risks13 Areas as indicated on the incidents and (Proponent) Ministry of approved Site and layout Plan fatalities Health and using high visibility material. Construction Child Care 13 These include incidents that caused or may potentially cause significant harm to the environment, workers, communities, or natural or cultural resources. Page 43 • Maintain site demarcations in Availability of PPE, and position until the cessation of First Aid Kit & Operation construction works; First Aiders • Observe all infrastructure servitudes as per the compliance obligations, alternatively permission to be sought for any exemptions where applicable, • Do not use the site for any other purpose other than for the proper carrying out of the project. • Do not paint or mark any natural feature. Marking for surveying and other purposes must be done using pegs and beacons. • Implementation of safety measures and emergency plans (see Annex 6) to contain accident risks associated with vehicle Page 44 transport, operation of any sophisticated machinery and other related activities. All staff/contractors to be trained on general construction safety measures, basic site rules of work at / on the site and of personal protection (including use of PPE), preventing injury to fellow employees and the use of machinery and equipment and safety protocols before they are allowed to use them. Training should consist of basic hazard awareness, site specific hazards, safe work practices, and emergency procedures for fire, evacuation, and natural disaster, as appropriate. Any site-specific hazard or color coding in use Page 45 should be thoroughly reviewed as part of orientation training. • Workers and contractors will receive adequate training14 and information enabling them to understand work hazards and to protect their health from hazardous ambient factors that may be present prior to commencement of new assignments. • Workers to be provided with appropriate Personal Protective Equipment or Clothing [PPE/C]. These include safety boots, 14 The training will adequately cover: knowledge of materials, equipment, and tools; known hazards in the operations and how they are controlled; potential risks to health; precautions to prevent exposure; hygiene requirements; wearing and use of protective equipment and clothing; appropriate response to operation extremes; incidents and accidents. Training will be provided to management, supervisors, workers, and occasional visitors to areas of risks and hazards. Page 46 reflective work suits, helmets, goggles, earmuffs, dust masks / respirators, gloves, etc. • Provide a fully equipped first aid kit and a designated trained15 person to administer it. • Adequate sanitary facilities should be provided and standard cleanliness maintained. • Workers should be sensitized on social issues such as drugs, alcohol and diseases and any worksite restrictions (i.e. no smoking, hunting, etc.) during construction orientation and training sessions. 15 Workers with rescue and first-aid duties will receive or have dedicated training so as not to inadvertently aggravate exposures and health hazards to themselves or their coworkers. Training will include the risks of becoming infected with blood–borne pathogens through contact with bodily fluids and tissue. Page 47 • Through appropriate contract specifications and monitoring, Forestry Commission will ensure that service providers, as well as contracted and subcontracted labor, are trained adequately before assignments begin. • Report accidents, incidents and fatalities to HSBCP PIU (until the end of HSBCP), the World Bank (until the end of HSBCP), relevant regulatory and other appropriate authorities in compliance with local regulations; secure the safety of workers, public, and provide immediate care. See Annex 5 • Prevent unnecessary vehicular and personnel access into Page 48 adjacent undisturbed areas; • In the interests of containing environmental damage and ensuring public and wildlife safety, it may be necessary to erect temporary fencing or shade cloth around the portion under construction or maintenance; • If visitors to the site can gain access to areas where hazardous conditions or substances may be present, a visitor orientation and control program should be established to ensure visitors do not enter hazard areas unescorted. Visitors should be provided with any necessary PPE. • Area Signage: Hazardous areas (electrical rooms, compressor Page 49 rooms, etc.), installations, materials, safety measures, and emergency exits, etc. should be marked appropriately. Signage should be in accordance with international standards and be well known to, and easily understood by workers, visitors and the general public as appropriate. • Labeling of Equipment: All vessels that may contain substances that are hazardous as a result of chemical or toxicological properties, or temperature or pressure, should be labeled as to the contents and hazard, or appropriately color coded. • Representatives of local Page 50 emergency and security services should be invited to participate in periodic (annual) orientation tours and site inspections to ensure familiarity with potential hazards present. Increased Increased power • ZETDC will carry out the Amount of Forestry Ministry of Energy surge and power distribution reticulation within energy used Commission Energy and Demand outages in the project site. (Proponent) Power addition to • Encourage energy conservation / Development increased energy through the following ways: Construction costs. Electrical appliances Monthly and • Switch off all electrical appliances Operation when not in use • Optimize operations of electrical equipment to enhance energy Page 51 conservation Lighting • Put off all lights immediately when not in use/required or are not needed. • Use energy conserving electric bulbs for general lighting • Make use of alternative source of energy such as solar power, which is renewable. • Individual facility metering should be provided. This would encourage energy conservation. Electricity meters (Track energy consumption) Water The proposed • Project will use very little water. Quantity of water Forestry demand development Forestry Commission will install a used / Commission ZINWA may cause some 5000m3 water tank adequate for Monthly (Proponent) Page 52 strain to the operations. the existing • Water for the boiler (and other Construction water supply uses) will be obtained from an and already existing borehole Operation • Encourage water reuse/recycling during operational phases. • Roof catchments should be provided with rainwater harvesting systems to enhance collection and storage of the run-off. Such water can be used in watering flower gardens and all kinds of cleaning required on site. • Provide notices and information signs on means and needs to conserve water resource to awaken the civic consciousness with regard to water usage and management. Page 53 • Boiler water management plan to be put in place. The water requirements are mitigated by the fact that output steam is collected, cooled and recirculated back to the boilers. Boiler Worker Health • Project will adhere to National Monitoring Indicators Frequency of FC will supply and Safety Social Security Act which to be inspected Inspection PPE mandates that boiler installation and management be approved and NSSA will regularly inspected. monitor safety • Workers will be given the proper procedures PPE and be trained on how to properly operate and maintain the boiler and any related equipment. Sewage and Sewage line • Use and good maintenance of Efficient Forestry EMA Effluent Blockages existing sanitary facilities. sewage system Commission Page 54 Disposal • Septic Tanks system will be used (Proponent) Overflow of • Septic tanks shall be water tight complaints from effluent into the and no spring water, subsoil workers Construction environment water; storm water shall be and permitted to enter them. Operation • Do not locate any site toilet, sanitary convenience, septic tank to sensitive areas. • Maintain and clean site toilets regularly as is required to keep them in good, functional working order and in an acceptable state of hygiene; • Combine drinking water facilities with hand washing facilities near site toilets. Spread of • Educate workers and Number of awareness Ministry of water-borne Stakeholders on hygiene and campaigns Health and diseases disease prevention Incidence of diarrheal Child Care Page 55 • Septic tanks will be effectively diseases covered and protected to minimize Quarterly odor problems and to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes. Waste Land and Water • Adhere to Waste Management Amount of Forestry EMA Generation pollution Plan in Annex 11 in accordance waste Commission and with World Bank General (1.6, generated (Proponent) Disposal 4.1)16 and Sawmilling and Wood- based Products17 Environmental, Construction Health and Safety Guidelines and Availability of bins and the Zimbabwe S.I 6 of 2007. Operation • Ensure solid waste is regularly collected for appropriate disposal. Littering • Provision of adequate strategically placed waste bins onsite to 16 World Bank Group: International Finance Corporation. General Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines, www.ifc.org/ehsguidelines, April 30, 2007, www.ifc.org/ifcext/enviro.nsf/Content/EnvironmentalGuidelines . 17 World Bank Group: International Finance Corporation. Sawmilling and Manufactured Wood-based Products Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines, www.ifc.org/ehsguidelines, April 30, 2007, www.ifc.org/ifcext/enviro.nsf/Content/EnvironmentalGuidelines. Page 56 prevent littering. • Waste materials should be properly segregated to encourage reuse and recycling. • Excavated soil to be utilised in back filling of roads • Project to practice waste segregation, reuse at source as well as green composting to reduce the amount of waste reaching the designated dumpsite. • Where necessary, dedicate a storage area on site for the collection of waste; • Ensure that solid waste is transported properly, avoiding waste spills end-route; • Ensure that the Construction / project site is kept clean, tidy and Page 57 free of rubbish that would attract animal pests or cause accidents; • Biodegradable waste to be composted. Occupational Low • Communicate oil, fuel and other Health and chemical hazards to workers Safety through labeling and marking according to national and internationally recognized requirements and standards, including the International Chemical Safety Cards (ICSC), Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), or equivalent. Any means of written communication should be in an easily understood language and be readily available Page 58 to exposed workers and first-aid personnel • PPE provided • Training workers in the use of the available information, safe work practices, emergency protocols and appropriate use of PPE during Operations • Proper and regular maintenance of equipment and machinery prevents accidents Fire & Property • Provision of fire-fighting Installed fire safety Forestry EMA Security Damage & equipment during the equipment Commission Biodiversity Loss construction and operation (Proponent) phases of the project Frequency of fire • Ensure that the following are incidences Construction in place: and Page 59 · Install and maintain Operation equipment (e.g. Fire hydrants and hose reels Quarterly to be provided as part of the development). · Sensitize the workers on fire risks · Provide emergency numbers at strategic points. · Potable fire-fighting equipment to be located at strategic points. · Provision of security during the construction & operation phases. · Ensure that all workers have access to communication facilities (phones, etc.) for quick Page 60 emergency response. • Take immediate steps to extinguish any fire which may break out on the site; • Burning of excess vegetation and the use of cooking fires to be carefully controlled. • A permanent firebreak around the proposed construction site should be considered before the commencement of any construction activities. • Do not permit any smoking within the proximity of any fuel or chemical storage area. • Store flammables away from ignition sources and oxidizing materials. Further, flammables storage area Page 61 should be (where possible): o Remote from entry and exit points into buildings o Away from facility ventilation intakes or vents o Have natural or passive floor and ceiling level ventilation and explosion venting o Be equipped with fire extinguishing devices, and constructed of materials made to withstand flame impingement for a moderate period of time Other strategies for fire prevention include: o Providing bonding and Page 62 grounding of, and between, containers and additional mechanical floor level ventilation if materials are being, or could be, dispensed in the storage area o Where the flammable material is mainly comprised of dust, providing electrical grounding, spark detection, and, if needed, quenching systems o Defining and labeling fire hazards areas to warn of special rules (e.g. prohibition in use of smoking materials, Page 63 cellular phones, or other potential spark generating equipment) o Providing specific worker training in handling of flammable materials, and in fire prevention or suppression. Operation Accidents, • Implementation of safety The number & Forestry NSSA Activities Incidents18 & measures and emergency Severity of Commission Occupational plans to contain accident accidents, (Proponent) Ministry of Risks risks associated with incidents and Health and Child vehicle transport, fatalities Operation Care operation of any 18 Includes incidents that caused or may potentially cause significant harm to the environment, workers, communities, or natural or cultural resources. Page 64 sophisticated machinery Availability of and other related activities. PPE, All staff/contractors to be First Aid Kit & trained on general safety First Aiders measures, basic site rules of work at / on the site and of personal protection (including use of PPE), preventing injury to fellow employees and the use of machinery and equipment and safety protocols before they are allowed to use them. Training should consist of basic hazard awareness, site specific hazards, safe work practices, and emergency procedures for fire, evacuation, and natural Page 65 disaster, as appropriate. Any site-specific hazard or color coding in use should be thoroughly reviewed as part of orientation training. • Workers and contractors will receive adequate training19 and information enabling them to understand work hazards and to protect their health from hazardous ambient Forestry factors that may be present Commission prior to commencement of new assignments. 19 The training should adequately cover: knowledge of materials, equipment, and tools; known hazards in the operations and how they are controlled; potential risks to health; precautions to prevent exposure; hygiene requirements; wearing and use of protective equipment and clothing; appropriate response to operation extremes; incidents and accidents. Training should generally be provided to management, supervisors, workers, and occasional visitors to areas of risks and hazards. Page 66 • Workers to be provided with appropriate Personal Protective Equipment or Clothing [PPE/C]. These include safety boots, reflective work suits, helmets, goggles, earmuffs, dust masks / respirators, gloves, etc. • Provide a fully equipped first aid kit and a designated trained20 person to administer it. • Adequate sanitary facilities should be provided and standard cleanliness 20 Workers with rescue and first-aid duties should receive dedicated training so as not to inadvertently aggravate exposures and health hazards to themselves or their coworkers. Training would include the risks of becoming infected with blood –borne pathogens through contact with bodily fluids and tissue. Page 67 maintained. • Workers should be sensitized on social issues such as drugs, alcohol and diseases and any worksite restrictions (i.e. no smoking, hunting, etc.) during orientation and training sessions. • Report accidents, incidents and fatalities to HSBCP PIU (until the end of HSBCP), the World Bank (until the end of HSBCP), relevant regulatory and other appropriate authorities in compliance with local regulations; secure the safety of Page 68 workers, public, and provide immediate care. • Prevent unnecessary vehicular and personnel access into adjacent undisturbed areas; • If visitors to the site can gain access to areas where hazardous conditions or substances may be present, a visitor orientation and control program should be established to ensure visitors do not enter hazard areas unescorted. Visitors should be provided with any necessary PPE. • Through appropriate Page 69 contract specifications and monitoring, Forestry Commission will ensure that service providers, as well as contracted and subcontracted labor, are trained adequately before assignments begin. • Area Signage: Hazardous areas (electrical rooms, compressor rooms, etc), installations, materials, safety measures, and emergency exits, etc. should be marked appropriately. Signage should be in accordance with international standards and be well known to, and easily Page 70 understood by workers, visitors and the general public as appropriate. • Labeling of Equipment: All vessels that may contain substances that are hazardous as a result of chemical or toxicological properties, or temperature or pressure, should be labeled as to the contents and hazard, or appropriately color coded. • Rotating and Moving Equipment: o Where a machine or equipment has an exposed moving part or exposed pinch point that may Page 71 endanger the safety of any worker, the machine or equipment should be equipped with, and protected by, a guard or other device that prevents access to the moving part or pinch point. Guards should be designed and installed in conformance with appropriate machine safety standards.21 o Turning off, disconnecting, isolating, and de-energizing (Locked Out and Tagged Out) machinery with exposed or 21 For example: CSA Z432.04 Safe Guarding of Machinery, CSA Z434 Robot Safety, ISO 11161 Safety of Machinery – Integrated Manufacturing Systems or ISO 14121 Safety of Machinery – Principals of Risk Management or equivalent ANSI standard. Page 72 guarded moving parts, or in which energy can be stored (e.g. compressed air, electrical components) during servicing or maintenance, in conformance with a standard such as CSA Z460 Lockout or equivalent ISO or ANSI standard o Designing and installing equipment, where feasible, to enable routine service, such as lubrication, without removal of the guarding devices or mechanisms • Extreme temperatures in permanent work Page 73 environments should be avoided through implementation of engineering controls and ventilation. Where this is not possible, temperature- related stress management procedures should be implemented which include: o Adjustment of work and rest periods according to temperature stress management procedures provided by American Conference of Page 74 Governmental Industrial Hygienists 22, depending on the temperature and workloads o Use of protective clothing o Providing easy access to adequate hydration such as drinking water or electrolyte drinks, and avoiding consumption of alcoholic beverages • Ergonomics, Repetitive Motion, Manual Handling: o Facility and 22 ACGIH, 2005, (ACGIH), http://www.acgih.org/TLV/. Page 75 workstation design with 5th to 95th percentile operational and maintenance workers in mind o Use of mechanical assists to eliminate or reduce exertions required to lift materials, hold tools and work objects, and requiring multi-person lifts if weights exceed thresholds o Selecting and designing tools that reduce force requirements and holding times, and improve postures o Providing user adjustable work stations Page 76 o Incorporating rest and stretch breaks into work processes, and conducting job rotation o Implementing quality control and maintenance programs that reduce unnecessary forces and exertions o Taking into consideration additional special conditions such as left handed persons • Ensure that any operations manual for the kiln is readily available on site during operational phase. The operational manual may have health and safety Page 77 guidelines which should be accessible to and observed by supervisors and workers. See General World Bank Environmental, Health and Safety Standards23 for illumination and other OHS requirements. 23 www.ifc.org/ehsguidelines. Page 78 Construction Employment • Employment of locals % locals Forestry District activities creation & will be prioritized during Employed Commission Administrator improved standard the operational phase, (Proponent) of living as construction phase Contractor Forestry Commission Construction and Competition for employees will provide Operation Employment the construction workforce. Broaden the rates • Approval of Project to Approved ESMP EMA base of the Lupane construct the required Rural District Project as planned. Council Social tension due • Train workers to respect Training ZRP to unprecedented cultural sensitivities of influx of people the host communities Quarterly Danger of • STIs, HIV/AIDS Ministry of Health escalation of STIs, awareness and Awareness & Child Care Page 79 HIV/AIDS prevention program campaign shall be put in place to guide staff conduct at the outset of the Quarterly construction phase quarterly • Strengthening of healthcare system to provide voluntary counseling and testing for workers Trenching Exposure / Destruction • Chance Finding Chance finding Forest Commission EMA activities exposing of Procedures shared procedures in (Proponent) Archaeological Archaeological material with Forestry place material Commission Construction and • In the event that Operation archaeological material or Page 80 findings are discovered or exposed, all work stops and an archaeologist from the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe should be notified so as to assess the significance of the findings and make appropriate recommendations. Sand Abstraction Soil erosion Sand for kiln Monthly Proponent (FC) EMA,LUPANE RDC foundation construction to be purchased only Page 81 from sand dealers who are registered by EMA. Inspection of sand abstraction sites will be done. Sites are to be rehabilitated using rubble or after final abstraction. Sand Transportation • Soil erosion • Only registered Status of access Forestry MoTID& • Destruction of sand transporters roads Commission Infrastructure vegetation should be used for Quarterly (Proponent) Development • Worsening of gulleys sand and its [MoTID] • Siltation transportation. Contractors • Air Pollution • Maintain existing • Noise pollution. access road to prevent unnecessary cutting down of vegetation • Number of access Page 82 road should be minimised • Proper maintenance of existing access roads • Use water to suppress dust along the roads • Stabilisation of banks e.g. using natural vegetation • Ensure that machinery is in good working condition before operations • Enforcing speed limits Bricks (for kiln Erosion and Gully • Only EMA registered Page 83 foundation Formation Brick makers should construction) supply proponent with bricks. • Ensure sand and brick moulding enterprises are licenced by EMA in compliance with S.I. 7 of 2007 and S.I. 3 of 2011. Quarterly checks on the sand abstraction sites will be done By EMA and/or Lupane Rural District Council Timber Harvesting • Deforestation • Only selected trees • Tree cover • FC Forester FC will be extracted as reported annual per relevant FMP determination and reporting Page 84 • Increased erosion • There will not be any • Soil (i.e. land) • FC Forester FC due to removal of clear cutting degradation annual timber and erosion determination indicators in in reporting relevant FMP for FMP • • No new access roads Forest officers are anticipated to be normally • Occupational constructed as there monitor Health and Safety are already existing movement of of workers roads. traffic and extracting timber • Commercial timber conduct logging is guided by surveillance a cutting plan and checks on the there is no clear existing roads to cutting to avoid detect and creation of bare control any surfaces illegal activities. FC, HSBCP PIU, NSSA Page 85 • FC, HSBCP PIU, NSSA • FC and HSBCP PIU Immediately, National Social Security Authority( • Workers will be • Workers NSSA) provided appropriate wearing and PPE using PPE • Incidents, accidents and fatalities tracked and reported Page 86 Final Disposition of Solid Waste Follow adapted Kiln generation from the Operations Manual24 kiln itself and end of instructions: life The symbol on the bottom of the device indicates that the electric and electronic equipment should be separated before final disposal. Do not dispose of electric and electronic equipment in mixed solid municipal waste, but dispose of to Enviro serve a registered and licenced local collector and buyer of electronic waste. Security Although no Site is already fenced. The Forest communities are close protection unit to the kiln site, of Forestry 24 DELPHI Manual (English) for Kiln Dryer Control, Revision 23, 15/02/14. Page 87 unauthorized people Commission could attempt to provide a 24 access the site. hour security guarding to the facility. Routine inspections are conducted by the forestry commission security officer who reports to the District Conservator. Page 88 7. Environmental Monitoring Plan The Forestry Commission (the Proponent) will undertake self-monitoring of the significant impacts identified as well as the institutions with the set mandate. This will make up the management tool through which prompt remedial action will be taken to correct unforeseen deviations in effectiveness of the mitigation measures. The Environmental Monitoring Plan for the activity is summarized in Table 7.1 below. Page 89 TABLE 7.1: Environmental Monitoring Plan All the monitoring agents have been notified of the project during the stakeholder’s consultations which will ensure project compliance. Proponent is FC. Aspect / Responsibilit Frequenc Indicators Activities Impact y y of Monitored Sampling Land PROPONENT/ Quarterly • Formation of gullies • Checking gully formation onsite and degradation EMA along access road for kiln site during (Soil) construction Forester for each Forest to annually produce: • reports • map out degraded areas • Progressive rehabilitation of any affected areas. Land PROPONENT/ Quarterly • Depletion of vegetative • Checking for undergrowth conditions Page 90 degradation EMA cover • Checking areas re-vegetated (Vegetation) • Checking for number of trees cut • Checking for types of trees harvested: endangered, threatened or other? • Checking for number of trees planted Forester for each Forest to annually produce: • reports • map out degraded areas • plan for corrective action Animal PROPONENT Annual • Census • Produce census report Populations in Forests impacted by timber extraction Forest pests PROPONENT Annually • Incidences of pests • Forester for each participating forest to and diseases and diseases produce reports • Trend over time related to this Project’s Page 91 timber extraction activities Fire incidents PROPONENT Annually • list causes of fires Forester for each participating forest to • map fire hot spots produce the following as related to this Project’s timber extraction activities: • reports • list causes of fires • map fire hot spots Forest PROPONENT Annually Number of settlers Forester for Gwaai to produce census reports settlers to show population trends and analyse with respect to this Project’s timber extraction activities and the requirements of the HSBCP Process Framework Poaching PROPONENT Annually Number of incidences of Security officer to: trends- poaching - Develop a reporting template - Document incidences noting when wildlife and Project activities started, how and if timber they impacted trends - Map out hot spots products Elephant PROPONENT Annually Number of corridors The Species selector to: corridor fragmented -map out all animal corridors fragmentation -avoid elephant corridors in areas selected for Page 92 logging - Ensure safety of workers when logging. Invasive Alien PROPONENT Every 2 Trends in IAS population Forester from each forest to • Produce reports Species (IAS) years • Document problem species especially and bush noting any increases that can be traced encroachmen to this Project’s timber extraction activities. t Forest pests PROPONENT Annually Trend in incidences Forester to produce reports showing trend and diseases in incidences Noise Levels Ministry of Quarterly • Complaints from • Conduct noise assessment on Health and employees and public machinery and residential areas Child welfare • High noise levels • Compare noise levels against limits generated by • Check availability of PPE/C for machines employees • In-availability of Ear • Check availability of signage muffs/ Buffers/ • Check if construction works are Mufflers conducted during the night. • Construction works conducted after hours Page 93 Air Pollution PROPONENT/ Quarterly • Amount of dust • Check nearby shops & properties EMA/ ZRP generated whether they are being covered with a • Frequency and fine layer of dust effectiveness of dust • Check for number of complaints from suppression. employees and public • Complaints from • Check for in availability of PPE/C employees and public • Check for adherence to vehicle speed • Availability of PPE/C limits • High vehicle speeds Road Traffic PROPONENT/ Quarterly • Number and • Trend accidents Accidents EMA/ ZRP frequency of accidents • Check for availability of signage • Signage • Check for number of Stakeholders • Safety Awareness complaints Campaigns • Stakeholders Complaints Surface PROPONENT/ Quarterly • Status of drainages • Blocked or damaged drainages Drainage EMA/Lupane • Flooding incidences • Frequency and extent of flooding System RDC incidences Page 94 Occupational PROPONENT/ Monthly • Number & Severity of • Trend the number & severity of Accidents25 in NSSA26/Minist accidents, incidents accidents, incidents and fatalities Construction ry of Health and fatalities • Check availability of PPE, First Aid Kit activities • Availability of PPE, & First Aiders First Aid Kit & First • Check validity of Food Handlers Aiders Certificates Increased PROPONENT / Monthly • Amount of energy • Check and trend the amount of energy Energy Ministry of used used Demand Energy • Check implementation of energy conservation initiatives High Water PROPONENT/ Monthly • Quantity of water • Trend quantity of water abstracted demand ZINWA abstracted • Trend quantity of water used • Quantity of water used Sewage and PROPONENT/ Monthly • Efficient sewage • Inspect Sewage system and address 25 Includes incidents that caused or may potentially cause significant harm to the environment, workers, communities, or natural or cultural resources. 26 This NSSA is a government arm responsible for safety and workmans’ compensation and they make unannounced visits to check on safety compliance. Page 95 Effluent EMA system issues that arise Disposal • Effluent Disposal • Adhere to effluent disposal permit Permit conditions • Effluent water quality • Conduct effluent water quality analysis results • Stakeholders complaints Waste PROPONENT/ Monthly • Amount of waste • Check and trend amount of waste Generation EMA generated generated and Disposal • Availability of bins • Check availability of bins • Littering • Inspect area for littering Oils & PROPONENT/ Quarterly • Number of oil leakages • Check if there are any oil leakages from lubricants EMA from vehicles vehicles in the premises. Management Risk of PROPONENT / Quarterly • Installed fire safety • Inspect adequacy and functionality of accidental DA equipment fire-fighting equipment and materials fires and site • Frequency of fire • Analyse fire incidences security incidences Page 96 Archaeologica PROPONENT / Chance • Presence of • Inform NMMZ when archaeological l Material NMMZ finding archaeological material or findings are discovered to (Physical procedure Material assess the significance of the findings Cultural and make appropriate suggestions. Resources) Socio PROPONENT/ Quarterly • Improved lifestyles • Number of locals Employed economic DA • Stakeholders • Stakeholders interviews satisfaction • Check for squatters, beggars • Analyse trend of social ills such as thefts, promiscuity, drug abuse etc. Sand PROPONENT/ Quarterly • Sand poaching • Penalties for Sand poaching incidences Abstraction EMA incidences • Penalties for non-restoration of and Brick • Sites of abstraction abstraction sites. Molding must be rehabilitated in accordance to EMA guideline after abstraction is complete. This is one of the conditions for Page 97 getting licensed by EMA. Page 98 8.0 Decommissioning Plan In the event of decommissioning, materials and other stocks will be allowed to run down. Unused substances will be returned to vendors where possible. All remaining material will be disposed of appropriately. All equipment and machinery will be removed from the site and disposed of appropriately. All works, buildings and structures will be removed to ground level. Roads, foundations and hard standings will be removed to a level to permit adequate drainage and land reclaimed for normal plant growth. Land rehabilitation will include returning the soil conditions to its natural state and allow plants to grow. Kiln or Equipment Decontamination Requirements: Due to the non-toxic nature of the wood drying operation and materials used there will be no decontamination requirements. 9.0 Public Consultation and Disclosure Stakeholders were notified of the Project by the Proponent (Forest Commission) at a full Council Meeting at the Lupane Rural District Council, with the Development Committee on the 25th of June 2019. A consultant was engaged for public consultation with key stakeholders in June 2019. In attendance were 19 committee members including the following: District Administrator, Rural District Council, Forestry Commission, Council chair, Environmental Management Agency, Chief Mabikwa, Works Chairperson, Transport/Roads among others. Questionnaires were distributed for identification of potential environmental and social impacts of the project. The feedback informed the analysis in this ESMP. The project was welcomed as a value addition and beneficiation programme with special attention to safety related issues including protective clothing for the workers. A record of the meeting proceedings will be available for public viewing in accordance Page 99 with the EMA Act. The minutes of the engagement meetings and responses from selected participants demonstrate that the majority saw the proposed kiln initiative as a positive economic and social investment. This ESMP will be available at all levels including the Forestry Commission Head Office, Provincial and on the site itself at Forest Hill in Gwaai to facilitate for training and familiarisation with the impact monitoring mechanisms proposed and put in place. It will also be publicly disclosed on the Forestry Commission website under the HSBCP. The Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM), Annex 8 provides defined stepwise reporting mechanisms for the employees and the necessary feedback mechanisms. Any other grievance outside the employees can be reported through the project GRM (Annex 9) mindful that the public can also make use of the FC grievance procedure during and after project closure scheduled for the 31st of December 2019. Forestry Commission Management will ensure this ESMP is communicated to project employees and relevant Interested Parties during operation. 10. Project Implementing Arrangements The project will rely on the existing staff employed at the Forest Hill sawmill. Ten people will be needed to operate the kiln. The District Forest Officer for Gwaai Forest and the Saw Mill Supervisor will directly supervise three kiln operators and five timber measurers. A trained designated Health and Safety Officer will be on site at all times during construction and kiln operations to provide care as needed and ensure proper protocols are followed during an emergency. The Forest Officer will report to the District Conservator of Forests who will be responsible for implementing, monitoring and reporting as is specified in the ESMP. FC staff or contractors for identifying and cutting the selected trees are elaborated in the Gwaai Forest Management Plan (Annex 4) also known as the Gwaai Profile. Page 100 11. Budgetary Arrangements Forestry Commission is responsible for the provision of all personal protective clothing and tools for the employees through their organisation’s budget. In addition, other funds needed for implementation of this ESMP are and will be covered by the Forestry Commission. Such activities include the construction of a 300m2 slab where the kiln and the timber shed will be installed, construction of a smoke stack and scrubbers for pollution control and payment of the emission as well as the EMP licences as prescribed in the EMA Act. Table 11.1 summarises the key activities to be funded from the Forestry Commission budget Activity Requirements Budget( USD) 1.Slab construction Cement, concrete, pit and 3 500 river sand 2.Smoke stack/ Fire brick, scrubbers 2 500 Chimney 3.Protective Safety shoes, works suits, 1 000 Clothing hard hats 4. Safety Signage at Signage material 500 the factory site 5.Air emission An air emission license 250 license issued by EMA is required 6.EMP certificate An EMP certificate issued by 250 EMA Page 101 12. Institutional and Reporting Arrangements The Forestry Commission Management will implement this Environment and Social Management Plan in order to minimize the extent of the project environmental footprint as much as is possible and avoid or manage negative impacts. Cutting plans are used to monitor and control harvesting and monitor off take. On a monthly basis, progress reports are produced for management consideration, analysis and interventions where necessary. The respective District Conservators and foresters will carry out the necessary monitoring and reporting from on-the-ground activities. They report to The Chief Conservator of Forests who is based in Bulawayo on ESMP progress and fulfill all reporting requirements to national and international bodies as listed in the ESMP Mitigation Table 6.1 and Monitoring tables (Table 7.1). The HSBCP PIU will provide oversight and guidance as well as report on kiln activity until it’s (the PIU’s) end. Other government entities such as EMA, the National Social Security Authority (NSSA), the Ministry of Health, etc. will conduct routine inspections and monitor the activity as per their mandates (indicated in the Environmental and Social Management Mitigation Plan (Table 6.1) and Monitoring plan (Table 7.1) during project implementation. Page 102 The National Social Safety Authority (NSSA) is a government arm responsible for safety and workmans’ compensation and they make unannounced monitoring visits to check on safety compliance by FC. Page 103 Annex 1: Site Screening Checklist When considering the location of a subproject, rate the sensitivity of the proposed site in the following table according to the given criteria. Higher ratings do not necessarily mean that a site is unsuitable. They do indicate a real risk of causing undesirable adverse environmental and social effects, and that more substantial environmental and/or social planning may be required to adequately avoid, mitigate or manage potential effects. Site Sensitivity Comments Issues Rating Low Medium High Natural No natural habitats No critical natural Critical natural High The site already has habitats present of any kind habitats27; other habitats present existing sawmill natural habitats structure running, the occur kiln purchased will only be used to mechanically dry the sewn timber to increase the market value of the timber and will be sited next to the sawmill which is an already disturbed, though protected, area. The rating is high because the 27 Critical natural habitats include both legally designated and undesignated parks, forests, etc as defined in the World Bank Operational Policy 4.04; Natural Habitats. Page 104 Site Sensitivity Comments Issues Rating Low Medium High proposed kiln site is located in Gwaai Forest Reserve which is a protected Forest. In addition, the wood will be sourced from Gwaai Forest itself. Water quality Water flows exceed Medium intensity Intensive water Low A 10 000-litre tank will and water any existing of water use; use; multiple water be mounted on a four- resource demand; low multiple water users; potential for meter stand. Low availability intensity of water users; water conflicts is high; water usage for the and use use; potential water quality issues are water quality boiler since it is a self- use conflicts important issues are contained system. expected to be low; important (Steam from the boiler no potential water is cooled and fed back quality issues into the system). Natural Flat terrain; no Medium slopes; Mountainous Low Relatively flat area, hazards potential some erosion terrain; steep slope averaging 0 to 1 vulnerability, stability/erosion potential; medium slopes; unstable degree. floods, soil problems; no risks from soils; high erosion stability/ known volcanic/seismic/ potential; volcanic, erosion volcanic/seismic/ flood/ hurricanes seismic or flood flood risks risks Page 105 Site Sensitivity Comments Issues Rating Low Medium High Cultural No known or Suspected cultural Known heritage Low No known historical or property suspected cultural heritage sites; sites in project archeological features heritage sites known heritage area within proximity sites in broader area of influence Involuntary Low population Medium High population Low This is an already resettlement density; dispersed population density; density; major established site with population; legal mixed ownership towns and villages; on-going sawmill tenure is well- and land tenure; low-income operations. Situated in defined; well- well-defined water families and/or a forest where there defined water rights illegal ownership of are no settlements. rights land; communal properties; unclear water rights Indigenous No indigenous Dispersed and Indigenous Low Not applicable peoples population mixed indigenous territories, populations; highly reserves and/or acculturated lands; vulnerable indigenous indigenous populations populations Page 106 Annex 2: Environmental and Social Checklist Yes No Comment A Type of activity – Will the subproject: 1 Involve the construction or rehabilitation of any medium to x large dams, weirs or reservoirs? 2 Support rural water supply and sanitation schemes? x 3 Build or rehabilitate any rural roads? x 4 Involve solid waste management? x 5 Involve community forestry? x 6 Involve small-scale aquaculture? x 7 Involve community healthcare facilities and the x management of healthcare waste? 8 Build or rehabilitate any structures or buildings? x Building of a concrete slab to harbour the kiln. 9 Support agricultural activities? x If the subproject may lead to an increase in the use of pesticides or require the purchase of pesticides, further environmental analysis is required to determine the extent and if an ESMP or Pest Management Plan would be necessary in accordance with the World Bank 4.09 Pest Management Policy. Page 107 Yes No Comment 1 Be located in or near an area where there is an important x 0 historical, archaeological or cultural heritage site (such as burial or ceremonial) or known artefacts such as fossils? 1 Involve excavation (such as for watering points) or gully x 1 management/stabilization. If the answer to questions 10 and/or 11 is yes, then any civil works contract must include chance-find procedures, the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe and/or relevant community/communities must be consulted and/or sensitized as appropriate. Also further analysis and formulation of an ESMP is warranted to assess and determine if any further mitigation will be required. 1 Be located within or adjacent to any critical natural habitats Yes The plant will be situated 2 (i.e. areas that are or may be protected by government such on a site with an already as a national park, forest, national reserve, world heritage existing sawmill structure site or local tradition), or that might be a natural habitat? in a state gazetted forest, a natural habitat. Wood to Such subproject activities require further analysis and be dried in the kiln will be formulation of ESMP to include consultation with relevant taken from the Gwaai protected area authorities and consistency with protected Forest. area or forest management plans. 1 Depend on water supply from an existing dam, weir or other x 3 water diversion structure? If the answer to any of questions 1-16 is “Yes”, consult the ESMF for guidance on how to avoid or minimize typical impacts and risks B Environment – Will the subproject: 1 Risk causing the contamination of drinking water? x 4 Page 108 Yes No Comment 1 Cause poor water drainage and increase the risk of water- x 5 related diseases such as malaria or bilharzia? 1 Harvest or exploit a significant amount of natural resources X Timber will be harvested 6 such as trees, fuel wood or water? from Gwaai Forest itself and transported to this site for drying in the kiln as well as for fuel for the kiln. 1 Be located within or nearby environmentally sensitive areas X 7 (e.g. intact natural forests, parks, wetlands) or threatened/endangered species? 1 Create or contribute to a risk of increased soil degradation or X The cutting plan is the 8 erosion? control measure used to avoid clear cutting which increases the risk of bare ground. 1 Create a risk of increasing soil salinity? x 9 2 Produce, or increase the production of, solid or liquid wastes X Construction waste will be 0 (e.g. water, medical, domestic or construction wastes)? produced short term during construction. Timber offcuts from the sawmill, and not the wood drying in the kiln, will be used to fire the boiler. No wood waste is produced from the kiln. 2 Affect the quantity or quality of surface waters (e.g. rivers, x 1 streams, wetlands), or groundwater (e.g. wells)? Page 109 Yes No Comment 2 Result in the production of solid or liquid waste, or result in x Increased solid waste from 2 an increase in waste production, during construction or the sawmill due to operation? increased production but all the off cuts waste will be used to fire the boiler If the answer to any of questions 14-22 is “Yes”, please include an ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN (ESMP) with the subproject application. C Land and access to resources – Will the subproject: 2 Require changes in current land use (public or private, x 3 temporarily or permanently)? 2 Use land that is currently occupied or regularly used for x 4 productive purposes (e.g. gardening, farming, pasture, fishing locations, forests) 2 Require movement individuals, families, farm production, x 5 businesses or other basis for livelihood? 2 Result in the temporary or permanent loss of crops, fruit x 6 trees or household infrastructure such as granaries, outside toilets and kitchens? 2 Result in the involuntary restriction of access by people to x 7 legally designated parks and protected areas? It the answer to any of the questions 23-27 is “Yes”, please consult the ESMF and PF, seek guidance from the World Bank team and, if needed, prepare a Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) Page 110 Yes No Comment D Indigenous people – Are there: 2 Any indigenous groups living within the boundaries of, or x 8 nearby, the project? 2 Members of these indigenous groups in the area who could x 9 benefit from the project? If the answer to questions 28 or 29 is “Yes”, please consult the ESMF, seek guidance from the World bank team and, if needed, prepare an Indigenous Peoples Plan (IPP). E Pesticides and agricultural chemicals – Will the subproject: 3 Involve the use of pesticides or other agricultural chemicals, x 0 or increase existing use? If the answer to question 30 is “Yes”, consult the World Bank project team and, if needed, prepare a Pest Management Plan (PMP). F Dam safety – Will the subproject: 3 Involve the construction of a dam or weir? x 1 3 Depend on water supplied from an existing dam or weir? x 2 If the answer to question 31 or 32 is “Yes”, please consult the ESMF and, if needed, prepare a Dam Safety Report (DSR) or other appropriate instrument. G Occupational Health and Safety-- Will the subproject require: 3 The hiring of workers for civil works? x 3 Page 111 Yes No Comment 3 Require the establishment of a labor camp for workers x 4 especially those from outside the community? If the answer to question 33 and/or 34 is “Yes”, please consult the World Bank Environmental, Health and Safety Standards for guidance on conditions for worker health and safety expected. For the ESMP or follow- up on these issues, OHS clauses must be part of contracts with third parties carrying out civil works. “Yes” to question 34 requires. CERTIFICATION We certify that we have thoroughly examined all the potential adverse effects of this subproject. To the best of our knowledge, the subproject plan as described in the application and associated planning reports (e.g. ESMP, RAP, ARAP, etc.), if any, will be adequate to avoid or minimize all adverse environmental and social impacts. Community representative (signature): Godrich Mupanhwa Acting Operations Manager Extension team representative (signature): Stephen Zingwena Conservation and Extension (CONEX) Date: June 2019 FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Desk Appraisal by Review Authority: Page 112  The subproject can be considered for approval. The application is complete, all significant environmental and social issues are resolved, and no further subproject planning is required. ✓ A field appraisal is required. Note: A field appraisal must be carried out if the subproject: • Needs to acquire land, or an individual or community’s access to land or available resources is restricted or lost, or any individual or family is displaced • May restrict the use of resources in a park, forest or other protected area by people living inside or outside of it • May affect a protected area or a critical natural habitat • May encroach onto an important natural habitat, or have an impact on ecologically sensitive ecosystems (e.g. rivers, streams, wetlands) • May adversely affect or benefit an indigenous people • Involves or introduces the use of pesticides • Involves, or results in: a) diversion or use of surface waters; b) construction or rehabilitation of latrines, septic or sewage systems; c) production of waste (e.g. construction waste); d) new or rebuilt irrigation or drainage systems; or e) small dams, weirs, reservoirs or water points. The following issues need to be clarified at the subproject site: …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… A Field Appraisal report will be completed and added to the subproject file. Name of desk appraisal officer (print): ____Goldrich Mupanhwa__________ Page 113 Annex 3: Field Appraisal Form Part 1: Identification 1. Project Name: Gwaai kiln drying hardwood project 2. Project Location: Forest Hill, Gwaai forest, Lupane District 3. Reason for Field Appraisal: Issues from the ESMF Checklist that determined the need for a Field Appraisal are; impacts of the kiln construction to the ecosystem integrity and human well- being. 4. Date(s) of Field Appraisal: July 2019 5. Field Appraisal Officer and Address: Dube Butholezwe (ESMP kiln consultant) 6. Extension Team Representative and Address: See attached document on minutes of the kiln consultations 7. Community Representative and Address: See attached minutes of the kiln consultation. Part 2: Description of the Project Page 114 8. Project Details: Provide details that are not adequately presented in the subproject application. If needed to clarify subproject details, attach sketches of the subproject component(s) in relation to the community and to existing facilities See attached minutes for the kiln consultation Part 3: Environmental and Social Issues 9. Will the project: Yes No • Need to acquire land? x • Affect an individual or the community’s access to land or available x resources? • Displace or result in the involuntary resettlement of an individual or x family? If “Yes”, tick one of the following boxes: ❑ The Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) included in the subproject application is adequate. No further action required. ❑ The RAP included in the subproject application must be improved before the application can be considered further. ❑ A RAP must be prepared and approved before the application can be considered further. 10. Will the project: Yes No • Encroach onto an important natural habitat? x • Negatively affect ecologically sensitive ecosystems? x If “Yes”, tick one of the following boxes: Page 115 ❑ The ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN (ESMP) included in the subproject application is adequate. No further action required. ❑ The ESMP included in the subproject application must be improved before the application can be considered further. ❑ An ESMP must be prepared and approved before the application can be considered further. 11. Are there indigenous people living in the subproject area who could benefit Yes No from, or be adversely affected by, the subproject? x If “Yes”, tick one of the following boxes: ❑ The Indigenous Peoples Plan (IPP) included in the subproject application is adequate. No further action required. ❑ The IPP included in the subproject application must be improved before the application can be considered further. ❑ An IPP must be prepared and approved before the application can be considered further. 12. Will this project involve or introduce pesticides? Yes No x If “Yes”, tick one of the following boxes: ❑ The Pest Management Plan (PMP) included in the subproject application is adequate. No further action is required. ❑ The PMP included in the subproject application must be improved before the application can be considered further. ❑ A PMP must be prepared and approved before the application can be considered further. 13. Will this project involve or result in: Yes No • Diversion or use of surface waters? x Page 116 • Construction and/or rehabilitation of latrines, septic or sewage systems? x • Production of waste (e.g. slaughterhouse waste, medical waste, etc.)? x • New or rebuilt irrigation or drainage systems? x If “Yes”, tick one of the following boxes: The application describes suitable measures for managing the potential adverse environmental effects of these activities. No further action required. ✓ The application does not describe suitable measures for managing the potential adverse environmental effects of these activities. An ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN has been prepared pending approval before the application is considered further. 14. Will this project require the construction of a small dam or weir? Yes No x If “Yes”, tick one of the following boxes: ❑ The application demonstrates that the structure(s) will be designed by qualified engineers, and will be built by qualified and adequately supervised contractors. No further action is required. ❑ The application does not demonstrate that the structure(s) will be designed by qualified engineers, and will be built by qualified and adequately supervised contractors. The application needs to be amended before it can be considered further. 15. Will this project rely on water supplied from an existing dam or weir? Yes No x If “Yes”, tick one of the following boxes: ❑ The application demonstrates that a dam safety report has been prepared, the dam is safe, and no remedial work is required. No further action is required. Page 117 ❑ The application does not demonstrate that a dam safety report has been prepared, the dam is safe, and no remedial work is required. A dam safety report must be prepared and approved before the application is considered further. 16. Are there any other environmental or social issues that have not been Yes No adequately addressed? x If “Yes”, summarize them: ___________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ ___________________________________________________________________________ and tick one of the following boxes: ❑ Before it is considered further, the application needs to be amended to include suitable measures for addressing these environmental or social issues. ❑ An ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN needs to be prepared and approved before the application is considered further. Part 4: Field Appraisal Decision ❑ The subproject can be considered for approval. Based on a site visit and consultations with both interested and affected parties, the field appraisal determined that the community and its proposed project adequately address environmental and/or social issues as required by the Project’s ESMF. ✓ Further subproject preparation work is required before the application can be considered further. The field appraisal has identified environmental and/or social issues that have not been adequately addressed. The following work needs to be undertaken before further consideration of the application: Page 118 An ESMP must be developed to assess and articulate a management strategy for identified impacts.______________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ All required documentation such as an amended application, ESMP, RAP, IPDP or PMP will be added to the subproject file before the subproject is considered further. Name of field appraisal officer (print):.BUTHOLEZWE. DUBE……………………………………. Signature: …………………….. Date: June 2019………………….. Page 119 Annex 4: Gwaai Forestland Zimbabwe Profile of the Demarcated/Gazzeted Area GWAAI FORESTLAND ZIMBABWE PROFILE OF THE DEMARCATED/GAZZETED AREA COMPILED BY MSHONIWA SHONIWA DOCUMENTED AS AT 01/01/2019 PREFACE Page 120 The demarcated forest of Gwaai is managed by Forestry Commission of Zimbabwe through the Conservation and Extension division of the Government’s organisation. This is to effectively achieve the division’s goals and objectives through the enhancement of scientific tools and procedures used to implement forest operations in the Forest Reserve thereby creating a coordinated framework which ensures that the mission of the organisation is accomplished. It encompasses the catchment conservation of this fragile Kalahari forest, the conservation of the diverse flora and fauna biodiversity of the forest, and sustainable utilisation of the forest’s resources thereby ensuring continuity of the social and economic aspects offered by this forest. Forestry Commission is the forestry authority whose mandate is derived from the Forest Act Chapter 19:05 and the Communal Land Forest Produce Act Chapter 19:04. It is responsible for regulating the forestry sector, offering forestry extension services, management of the gazetted forests for biodiversity conservation, capacity building through forestry research and training. This Management Plan is for Gwaai forest, one of the forests under the management of Forestry Commission. M. Shoniwa Forester in Charge Gwaai Forest – Forestry Commission Zimbabwe Page 121 Table of Contents 1. HISTORY AND BACKGROUND ......................................................................................................... 125 2. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES............................................................................................................ 126 3. LOCATION AND SIZE ........................................................................................................................ 126 4. PHYSIOGRAPHY ............................................................................................................................... 127 4.1 Morphology............................................................................................................................... 127 4.2 Soils ........................................................................................................................................... 127 4.3 Drainage .................................................................................................................................... 128 4.4 Climate ...................................................................................................................................... 128 4.5 Environmental limitations ......................................................................................................... 128 5. ROAD NETWORKS ........................................................................................................................... 128 6. INSTITUTIONAL COORDINATION..................................................................................................... 129 7. PROFILE OF ADJACENT LANDS ........................................................................................................ 129 8. LAND USE AND OWNERSHIP STATUS.............................................................................................. 130 9. DESCRIPTION OF FOREST RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN GWAAI FOREST ........................................... 130 9.1 Vegetation ................................................................................................................................. 130 9.1.1 Baikiaea woodland ............................................................................................................. 130 9.1.2 Miombo woodland............................................................................................................. 132 9.1.3Acacia woodland ................................................................................................................. 132 9.1.4 Terminalia-Combretum woodland (Combretaceae).......................................................... 132 9.1.5 Mopane woodland (Coleospermum mopane) ................................................................... 132 9.2 Wildlife ...................................................................................................................................... 132 9.3 Thatch Grass.............................................................................................................................. 132 9.4 River sand.................................................................................................................................. 133 9.5 Burkea caterpillars .................................................................................................................... 133 9.6 Firewood ................................................................................................................................... 133 9.7 Grazing ...................................................................................................................................... 133 10. FOREST MANAGEMENT ................................................................................................................ 133 10.1 Tenure and use rights ............................................................................................................. 133 10.2 Benefits from the forest .......................................................................................................... 133 10.3 Environmental safeguards ...................................................................................................... 134 11. DESCRIPTION OF MANAGEMENT ZONES ...................................................................................... 134 11.1 Description of activities in management Zones...................................................................... 134 Page 122 11.2 Zone A ..................................................................................................................................... 135 11.3 Zone B ..................................................................................................................................... 135 11.4 Zone C ..................................................................................................................................... 135 12. Gwaai forest monitoring plan………………………………………………………………………………………………. 16 List of tables 1. Commercial species inventory in Gwaai Forest-1994_____________________ 8 2. Commercial species inventory in blocks A, B, L, M,N in Gwaai Forest-1994__15 List of figures 1. Location of Gwaai forest in Zimbabwe________________________________ 11 2. Management blocks for Gwaai Forest_________________________________11 ACRONYMS Page 123 APO ANNUAL Plan of Operation Dbh Diameter at breast height (1.3m) FMP Forest management plan FMU Forest management unit FSC Forest stewardship council IAS Invasive alien species M&I Mapping and Inventory IPZ Intensive Protection Zone NTFP Non Timber Forest Products PA Protected Area PPE Personal Protective Equipment PSP Permanent Sample Plot RNTC Rhodesia Native Timber Company RTE &V Rare, threatened, endangered and vulnerable SOP Standard Operating Procedures Acknowledgements The author would not have successfully compiled this document in his own accord. This profile has been made possible by the data collected by the forester and his field staff, editing assisted by The Chief Conservator of Forests, Forest and Wildlife Ecologist, and The District Conservator - Lupane. The Forestry Commission’s department of the Mapping and Inventory Page 124 (M&I) was crucial in providing forestry inventory data, geographical information and the necessary various maps. Lastly appreciation is given to all those not mentioned by name. May all the above mentioned continue to assist in the continuous improvement of documenting the profile of Gwaai forest. Thank you all. GAZZETED FOREST PROFILE APROVAL DECISION Forest Management Unit (FMU) - Gwaai Forestland The Forest Profile for Gwaai Forestland dated 1st January 2019 is hereby approved subject to satisfactory compliance as at the time of documentation. Forest dynamics and resource utilisation can however alter this profile whereby a review of the profile can be done. Effective date 01/01/2019 Approved by: A. Tembo Chief Conservator of Forests – Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe 1. HISTORY AND BACKGROUND Gwaai forest was gazetted in 1930. In 1923 Gwaai forest together with Ngamo forest and Bembesi forest were identified for protection as demarcated forest through the Land Apportionment Act (L.A.A) of 1930 as part of the Gwaai group of forests. The area of extent excluded blocks H and J which were later added through the third schedule of the amended L.A.A of 1941. At the time of proclamation there were forest residents already living inside the forest who were recognised through the forest African tenant policy. During the time of proclamation, wildlife management was not considered as a major activity by Forestry Commission and as such focus was on the production of lumber timber from three commercial timber species, Pterocarpus angolensis, Baikeaea plurijuga and Guibourtia coleosperma. In the 1920s exploitation of timber in Gwaai forest was commenced by a state company called the Rhodesia Native Timber Company (R.N.T.C). Large portions of teak were harvested haphazardly. In 1939, an enumeration survey was carried out for the main commercial tree species with the objective of opening up a lumber operation. In 1970 the same company harvested timber in block O of Gwaai forest. During this period there was huge demand for teak which was being used for railway sleepers and mine stumps. After the 1970s the demand increased to include Mukwa which is favourable in furniture manufacturing due to its workable timber. Between 1992 and 1994 an operation which later Page 125 became economically full scale was initiated for salvage harvesting dying Mukwa. During that time the minimum harvesting sizes of trees were set at 35cm diameter at breast height (d.b.h). 2. MANAGEMENT OBJECTIVES. The major forest management objectives as set out in the 1961 Forest Policy were summarised as follows- 1. To manage demarcated forests to produce exploitable timber of the main commercial species on a sustained yield basis. 2. To increase the productivity of forests by developing schemes to utilise minor forest produce and by implementing principles of multiple land use where feasible 3. To develop proper understanding of ecological significance of forests in wildlife management. 4. To protect the catchment areas for rivers that drain into the Zambezi and to protect the fragile Kalahari sand formations 5. To develop the amenity value of forests. 3. LOCATION AND SIZE An area of 144 300 hectares in extent makes Gwaai Forest the largest of all demarcated forests in Zimbabwe. It is situated in Lupane District. The headquarters (Forest Hills) is situated aproximatley140km North West of Bulawayo and 30km South East of Lupane (the Provincial administrative capital of Matabeleland North Province). The forest is bordered by Bembesi forest and Umzibane forest in the East, Gwaai River and Tsholotsho communal area in the South, Gwaai purchase farms and Bembesi River in the West and North West, and Lupane communal land in the North. The forest shares boundaries with two administrative Districts of Lupane and Tsholotsho. Location is as shown in figure 1 below. Page 126 Figure1. Location of Gwaai Forest in Zimbabwe (Labelled 12): Source: Forestry Commission mapping and inventory unit 4. PHYSIOGRAPHY 4.1 Morphology The forest falls under Zimbabwe’s agro-ecological region IV which is an arid savannah environment. Area is generally flat with occasional small to medium sized depressions which form natural water pans during the rainy season. Altitude ranges between 3 300m and 3 650m above sea level. 4.2 Soils The soils are mostly composed of thick layers of Kalahari sands. These are of Aeolian origin and are thought to have blown from the Kalahari Desert. The Mvana and Insuza vleis are characterised by some underlying basalt rocks. These calcrete plains and vleis are thus comprised of dark soils and sometimes cracking clay. There are some pockets of sandy clay loams found along the Gwaai and Bembesi Rivers. Page 127 4.3 Drainage The Gwaai, Bembesi and Insuza Rivers form the main drainage systems in Gwaai forest. The rivers are mainly seasonal with a short flowing period between January and March. Part of the Bubi-Lupane dam is also located in Gwaai Forest. The Forest has four artificially pumped water points situated at natural pans namely Dhlawa, Mabhikwa, Number One and Oil well. 4.4 Climate Gwaai forest is located in an arid and hot area. Rainfall comes in a short variable season mainly between October and February. It usually ranges between 400mm and 600mm per annum. Frequent and prolonged droughts are common. During the 1991/92 drought, rainfall received was under 150 mm/year. The rainfall pattern has of late become erratic. Mean annual temperatures range between 180C and 280C. Daily maximum temperatures have however been known to reach above 400C and minimum temperatures below 60C. Recent years have seen very cold nights being experienced in winter characterized by frost. 4.5 Environmental limitations The dry conditions of the area is also a problem as game water becomes scarce during the dry periods, thus need to pump underground water reserves. Bush encroachment on vleis is another threat to the integrity of the forest through invasive species. Wild veld fires are also a cause for concern. Climate change especially the summer heat waves create fire protection challenges as the fire danger index reaches its peak in the region thus despite pre-suppression measures threat from the forest neighbours is eminent. The sandy terrain makes accessibility a challenge as most roads require 4x4 trucks making it hard to carry out fundamental forest operations. 5. ROAD NETWORKS Name Road Category Distance Eastern boundary Forest boundary and external fireguard 44km Salt Lick Fire line 34km Power line Fire line 22.5km Gum line Fire line 3km Mpofu line Fire line 6.25km Steyrn line Fire line 3km Centre line Fire line 47.5km Masheke line Fire line 39.5km Old RNTC railway line Fire line 27.5km Western boundary/Somgolo road Forest boundary, State road and external 33km guard Kofan line Fire line 6km Bulawayo/Vic falls road State road 50km Page 128 Name Road Category Distance Bulawayo/Vic falls strip road State road 54km Kale line Fire line 20km O riley line Fire line 22.5km 8 Mile line Fire line 25km 10 Mile line Fire line 17.5km Northern bodaboda Fire line 28km Southern bodaboda Fire line 29.5km 16 Mile line Fire line 22km 18 Mile line Fire line 25km Nkabeta line Fire line 12.5km Mapilibomvu line Fire line 15km Main line extension Fire line 12.5km 204 line Fire line 12km Corner line Fire line 6.5km Gwaai river Bodaboda line Fire line 27km Bush mill line Fire line 7km No 1 line Fire line 12km No 2 line Fire line 9km No 3 line Fire line 11km Block J extraction line Fire line 11km No 4 line Fire line 9km Bembesi river bodaboda Fire line 32km 6. INSTITUTIONAL COORDINATION Department Department Head Local Government District Administrator, and Assistant District Administrator “ “ “ Kusile Rural District Council-CEO and Campfire Officer “ “ “ Council chair and Vice, Councillor ward 28 “ “ “ Local leadership-Chief Mabhikwa and Village and Kraal heads Agritex District Agricultural extension Officer Veterinary services Government Veterinary Officer ZRP Officer in Charge EMA District environmental Officer President’s Office District Intelligence Officer Information and Publicity Provincial Information Officer 7. PROFILE OF ADJACENT LANDS The forest forms boundaries with Bembesi forest and Umzibane forest in the East, Tsholotsho communal area in the South, Gwaai purchase farms in the West and North West, and Lupane Page 129 communal land in the North. This makes the forest to be surrounded by lands with similar objectives Bembesi and Umzibane in some portions, leaving the land use plans of the remaining forest neighbours, Gwaai purchase area, Tsholotsho and Lupane communal areas divergent to the forest’s objectives. 8. LAND USE AND OWNERSHIP STATUS Gwaai forest is a demarcated forest owned by the Government of Zimbabwe through Forestry Commission which is a scientific, management and regulatory authority in the country under the Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry. Forestry Commission derives its mandate from the Forest Act chapter 19.05 which empowers it to be the local authority superintending over the forest reserve. However neighbouring communities and forest residents have access and user rights to forest services and products found in Gwaai Forest. There is provision to allow formal use of the forest for cultural activities and ritual activities through the continuous community engagement initiative. This takes into account that these had been in existence before the inception of forest reserves. 9. DESCRIPTION OF FOREST RESOURCES AVAILABLE IN GWAAI FOREST The forest is subdivided into management zones namely Block A to Block O based on the occurrence of resources and management activities suitable for each ecotype. Notable zones set aside include hunting blocks, lumber blocks, thatch grass collection areas and the settlement areas. Resources found in Gwaai forest are summarised below- 9.1 Vegetation The vegetation types found Gwaai forest are ecological units based on dorminant species composition of the woody layer. The forest cover types are described below and summarised in Fig 2. 9.1.1 Baikiaea woodland Baikiaea plurijuga is the major species found in this woodland type. Other associated species include Pterocarpus angolensis, Guibourtia coleosperma, Afzelia quanzensis, Schinziophyton rautanenii, Burkea africana, Terminalia spp and Combretum spp (Rogers, 1993). This type of woodland contains most of the commercially exploitable indigenous timber species. The expected average productivity is set at 200m3 per month amounting to 4 800m3 per annum. The mean annual increment of these species is estimated at 0.6 to 0.7m3/ha (Chihambakwe, 1987). An inventory done in 1994 showed the following timber was available in all blocks (Block A to Block O) of Gwaai forest and is shown in Table 1 below. Page 130 TABLE1. COMMERCIAL SPECIES INVENTORY IN GWAAI FOREST-1994 BLOCK PRODUCTIVE SPECIES CLASS 1 CLASS 2 CLASS 3 TOTAL AREA (ha) (m3 o/b) (m3 o/b) (m3 o/b) (m3 o/b) A-O 204 300 Pterocapus angolensis 63 626 23 568 1 862 89 056 Baikiaea plurijuga 198 657 94 986 24 012 317 655 Guibortia coleosperma 77 491 31 680 8 229 117 400 TOTAL 204 300 All commercial species 339 774 150 234 34 103 524 111 The timber in all the blocks have been exhausted accept for Blocks A, B, L, M and N. These are situated in the hunting zone and the area constitutes 21% of the timber productive area. Their inventories as at 1994 were as follows and are shown in table 2 below. TABLE2. COMMERCIAL SPECIES INVENTORY IN BLOCKS (A, B, L, M, N) GWAAI FOREST-1994 BLOCK PRODUCTIVE SPECIES CLASS 1 CLASS 2 CLASS 3 TOTAL 3 3 3 AREA (ha) (m o/b) (m o/b) (m o/b) (m3 o/b) MUKWA A 8 382 Pterocapus angolensis 4 735 1 703 94 6 532 B 5 830 Pterocapus angolensis 8 493 2 664 107 11 264 L 11 183 Pterocapus angolensis 8 096 5 015 523 13 634 M 8 699 Pterocapus angolensis 1 551 436 46 2 033 N 9 201 Pterocapus angolensis 3 861 716 49 4 626 TOTAL 43 295 Pterocapus angolensis 26 736 10 534 819 38 089 TEAK A 8 382 Baikiaea plurijuga 11 948 4 025 901 16 874 B 5 830 Baikiaea plurijuga 12 922 3 419 1 050 17 391 L 11 183 Baikiaea plurijuga 18 112 10 441 2 109 30 662 M 8 699 Baikiaea plurijuga 15 579 11 310 2 387 29 276 N 9 201 Baikiaea plurijuga 15 164 9 794 2 983 27 941 TOTAL 43 295 Baikiaea plurijuga 73 725 38 989 9 430 122 144 ROSEWOOD A 8 382 Guibortia coleosperma 6 829 1 108 207 8 144 B 5 830 Guibortia coleosperma 5 609 1 137 257 7 003 L 11 183 Guibortia coleosperma 12 340 7 355 2 220 21 915 M 8 699 Guibortia coleosperma 3 900 2 848 629 7 377 N 9 201 Guibortia coleosperma 1 266 733 178 2 177 TOTAL 43 295 Guibortia coleosperma 29 944 13 181 3 491 46 616 ALL SPECIES A, B, L , 43 295 Pterocapus angolensis 26 736 10 534 819 38 089 M AND N Baikiaea plurijuga 73 725 38 989 9 430 122 144 Guibortia coleosperma 29 944 13 181 3 491 46 616 TOTAL 43 295 All commercial species 130 405 62 704 13 740 206 849 Consistent fires in Block N and parts of M, rampant poaching of Mukwa in Blocks A and B which resulted in salvage harvesting of Mukwa in Block B coupled with elephant damage in all the Blocks in the table above means volumes are now way below these projected figures. Page 131 9.1.2 Miombo woodland The major species in this type of woodland are Brachystegia spiciformis and Julbernadia globiflora. Associated species include Faurea spp, Combretum molle, Uapaca kirkiana, Pterocarpus angolensis, Albizia antunesiana, Strychnos spp, and Parinari curatelifolia. Relatively undisturbed Miombo woodland is characterized by a single stratum of 6 to 12 m high, with a canopy cover of up to 80 per cent. 9.1.3Acacia woodland Acacia woodlands occupy extensive areas with eutrophic soils with a high base status particularly along river valleys and low-lying areas (ie.Insuza vlei). These are dominated by various Acacia species. Some parts along Bembesi River and Gwaai River have unique riverine vegetation dominated by Acacia polyacantha with associated Acacia albida. 9.1.4 Terminalia-Combretum woodland (Combretaceae) Terminalia-Combretum woodlands are characterized by Terminalia sericea and Peltophorum africanum species, but include a range of other tree and shrub species, such as Combretum spp, Lannea discolor, Faurea saligna, Pterocarpus angolensis, Sclerocarya birrea and Kirkia acuminata. 9.1.5 Mopane woodland (Coleospermum mopane) There are types of mopane woodlands in Gwaai forest. There are mopane woodland on rocky terrain and mopane on sands with underlying clay soils. 9.2 Wildlife Gwaai forest has a diversity of fauna that include large herbivores, avifauna and small antelopes. Game includes the elephant, giraffe, leopard, hyenas, eland, sable, wildebeest, impalas, zebras and ostriches amongst others. Occasional crocodiles are sighted as they roam the Bembesi River during the periodic annual flows. Most of the game is concentrated along the Insuza vlei that is blocks L and M which is the forest’s intensive protection zone. The game population censuses for the past years are shown in table 3 below and table 4 shows permitted off take. 9.3 Thatch Grass Thatch grass is found mainly in vlei areas or low lying water courses. The main and popular thatch grass species found in Gwaai forest is the Hyparrenia hirta although other species also occur in limited quantities including the broom grass. Insuza vlei which covers approximately 46 200ha has a harvestable area of 3 300ha which yields +/-40 000 bundles of thatch grass per year. Mabhikwa vlei also yields about +/-1 000 bundles per year. However according to records only 6625 bundles are harvested per year. Page 132 9.4 River sand River sand is sold to local individuals at a prescribed fee/m³, and given for free when developing community institutions i.e. Hospitals, clinics, dip tanks etc. 9.5 Burkea caterpillars Caterpillars grow seasonally during the rainy season in areas like Block K and G where there are Burkea africana tree species. The caterpillars are collected by local communities as a source of household protein. 9.6 Firewood Firewood is available in Gwaai Forest. Concessionaires harvest firewood from branch wood left after timber harvesting. Firewood is also sold from offcuts after sawmilling at the Kara mobile mill at the forest’s HQ. 9.7 Grazing Forage for cattle in Gwaai is in two categories. We have area where the forest settlers and neighbouring communities are grazing their cattle and areas that have been set aside for grazing leases. 10. FOREST MANAGEMENT 10.1 Tenure and use rights Gwaai forest is open for leasing to small business operators to cater for forest resident in designated shopping centres, Radio receivers and mobile telephone boosters, Veterinary foot and mouth control points grazing leases and firewood leases in harvested areas. All lease agreements of Gwaai forest shall be kept up to date and developers managed for compliance in operations and payment obligations. Local communities shall be granted use rights as long as their activities do not threaten the integrity of the forest. The use rights shall be communicated to the community concerned and documented including procedures in reporting disputes. 10.2 Benefits from the forest Gwaai forest has a wide range of viable environmental, economic and social benefits. To ensure sustainability, timber and non-timber forest product resource inventories are conducted in conjunction with socio resource use inventories. Forestry Commission and local communities shall consult on the range of benefits that can be accessed by the communities and modalities for such access shall be documented and made known to affected parties. Where possible, Forestry Commission or its agents shall initiate corporate social responsibility projects to neighbouring communities in order to create community interest in the upkeep of the forest. Page 133 10.3 Environmental safeguards The management objectives of Gwaai forest are that the operations must conserve biodiversity and its associated values of soils, water and fragile Kalahari sand formations which maintain the functions and integrity of the forest. Attention shall be paid for potential negative impacts causing soil erosion, habitat deterioration, and species diversity. Hunting shall be subject to approved quotas and permits and records kept for animals killed according to sex and species. Permanent sample plots (PSPs) shall be maintained representing existing forest cover types found in Gwaai forest and assessment records for the plots shall be documented and updated. 11. DESCRIPTION OF MANAGEMENT ZONES 11.1 Description of activities in management Zones Gwaai forest is divided into four management zones. The zones were delineated based on the differences of resources found in each zone. The zoning programme forms part of the management plan as it identifies the quality and desirable use of specific parts of Gwaai forest. Management zones are referenced according to the block where the resources to be managed are found as shown on Figure 2. Page 134 Figure 2. Management Blocks for Gwaai forest ; Source: Forestry Commission mapping and inventory unit (2015) 11.2 Zone A Timber production This zone is located in forest Blocks A, B, C, E, G, H, J, K and O and is characterised by large quantities of merchantable commercial timber species like Baikiaea plurijuga (teak), Guibourtia coleosperma (rosewood) and Pterocarpus angolensis (mukwa). 11.3 Zone B Vleis or grassland areas Zone B is located along the Insuza and Mvana vleis. Thatch grass production shall be used as a vehicle to improve community relations in order for locals to support forest management programmes. The access for thatch grass and sharing modalities shall be documented and communicated to affected parties. This plan proposes a negotiable sharing ratio of 1:1between Forestry Commission and the locals. Thatch grass is also used for the renovations of the organisation’s chalets. 11.4 Zone C Hunting This zone comprises Blocks L, M, and N. This is also an intensive protection zone. Trophy hunts and conservation hunts shall be carried out in this zone subject to approved quotas and hunting permits. These will be administered from Amandundumela hunting camp which is located in this zone. This camp as forestry commission asset must be protected from fires at all times. 12 Gwaai Forest Monitoring Plan Aspect to be Monitoring Responsible officer Remarks monitored frequency Changes in 5 years Gwaai Forester -Engage R&T experts vegetation cover - compare changes since 1992 types - produce assessment reports Biomas,growth rates, 5 years Mapping and - Maintain/establish volumes inventory officer PSPs - Produce assessment reports Fire ecology 5 years Forester - Establish PSPs assessment Ecologist - Produce assessment reports Poaching trends- Annual Security officer - Develop a reporting wildlife and timber template products - Document incidences from 2005 Page 135 - Map out hot spots Animal population Annual Forester/Ecologist - Produce census trends reports Population trends for Annual Gwaai Forester - Produce census forest settlers reports Map areas with IAS Every two years Gwaai Forester - Produce reports and bush - document problem encroachment and species monitor List all ongoing Annual Gwaai Forester - update research researches by other Directory institutions Monitor fire Annual Gwaai Forester - produce reports incidents - list causes of fires - map fire hot spots Monitor general land Annual Gwaai Forester - produce reports and forest - map out degraded degradation areas - plan for corrective action Monitor forest pests Annual Gwaai Forester - produce reports and diseases Page 136 Annex 5: HARVESTING PLAN FOR BLOCK K GWAAI FOREST RESERVE BLOCK K GWAAI FOREST RESERVE COMPILED BY B.NDLELAMBI AND M SHONIWA Date: February 2019 TIMBER HARVESTING PLAN The harvesting plan ensures- 1. Only the trees of breast height over bark (ob) diameter of 31 cm are cut. Breast height diameter is the tree thickness measured at a height of 1.3 meters from the ground on the side away from the direction of lean in any leaning tree. 2. Diameter is constructed as mean of two caliper readings at right angles to it or reading from a diameter tape. 3. Exploitation of marked trees only. 4. Construction of roads and tracks as well as use of existing roads and removal of timber whilst ensuring minimal damage to the forest. 5. Exploitation of timber in such a manner as not to cause undue damage to the standing vegetation. 6. Trees are cut in a manner that ensures maximum degree of utilization and minimum wastages. Stump height must not be above 25 cm from the natural ground. 7. Measures that require reduction of environmental damage as a result of operation. 8. That 2 seed trees/ hectare are left as a seed bank for regeneration purposes. 9. The concession is divided into avenues and coupes and the sequence and manner of exploitation is indicated. Page 137 1. Introduction Block K logging concession is run by Forestry commission to generate funds for its operations. The main objective is to sustainably harvest commercial timber species which are mainly Teak, Mukwa and Rosewood. 2. Project Location The concession area covers an area of 6600ha and is located in the K block of Gwaai forest. The block is situated within the boundaries Bembesi River on the northern side, g mile line to the south, eastern boundary to the east and Masheke line to the west. 3. Timber distribution and estimated harvesting duration Harvesting in this block is projected to take 17 months as indicated in the table below Timber belt Location Area Estimated species Estimated number (ha) composition for utilizable harvesting timber duration 1 Centre/Masheke 600 Teak-50% & Mukwa- 1 month 50% 2 Centre/Kale 500 Teak - 85% Rosewood- 3 months 14% Mukwa- 1% 3 Centre/Chakabhadha 1200 Teak-70% Rosewood- 4 months 29% Mukwa-2% 4 Chakabhadha/Power 1100 Rosewood-80% Teak- 2 months line 20% 5 Power line/ Duiker 1700 Teak 100% 4 month 6 Duiker/ Transport 800 Teak 60% 1 month 7A & 7B Saltlick/Kelly 700 Teak 60% Rosewood- 2 month 40% Harvestable timber. The targeted species with a minimum diameter of 31cm ob will be selectively marked for felling. At least one phenotypically sound tree of each targeted species will be deliberately spared as a seed bank. Such trees will be conspicuously banded with a white paint at breast height. Cutting sequence Harvesting will start from coupe 1 avenue 1 and proceed progressively unless otherwise there is a special demand for a particular species that would warrant jumping to a coupe where the species is predominant. This is for the purpose of monitoring compliance to the plan to minimize recurring disturbance to the ground. Environmental considerations Coupes will be 1600m wide. These coupes will have 4 avenues each which will be 400m apart. These avenues will be bisected by cut lines to confine dragging distance to a maximum Page 138 of 200m. Dragging on the trail will not be done for more than 3 times to avoid fragile Kalahari sand erosion. Equipment and use All operations will be done by Forestry Commission but in the event of other operations being contracted, the contractor will operate under the direct supervision of Forestry Commission. Manpower The contractor will bring his own employees for the purposes of dragging and hauling to the ramp. Forestry Commission would take responsibility in the loading from ramp to sawmill. Forestry Commission will have the following employees for the purposes of felling and auditing. Job title No Timber measurers 4 Chainsaw operators 2 Assistant chainsaw Operators 2 Avenue markers 4 Supervisor 1 Total 13 The following equipment will be used. Item Quantity Use Organization Chainsaw 2 Felling Forestry Commission Hammer stamp 1 Timber identity(FC2) Forestry Commission Calipers 3 Volume calculation Forestry Commission Measuring stick 4 Volume calculation Forestry Commission Tractors Dragging/hauling Hyde Park Timbers Dragging chains dragging Hyde Park Timbers Haulage trucks hauling Hyde Park Timbers Felling methods A selective method of felling will be used. There will be adherence to the recommended minimum diameter as per requirement. Practical damage to existing vegetation will be minimized. All felled stems should not hang on existing vegetation and all logs to be properly de-branched. Stump height should not exceed 25cm from the ground level. Extraction method - Stumps to avenue-logs will be dragged by tractors in batches of 3. - Each drag line will not be used for more than three times to avoid erosion. Page 139 -Hauling to the ramp will be done by the use of tractors -Manual loading will be done into the trailers which haul to ramp through existing routes and avenues - At the ramp manual off-loading will be done - Movement to the next coupe will be done after all marked and felled logs are removed from the previous coupe. Ramp management - Two log ramps of approximately 3ha will be strategically created towards the base line - A field base camp will be created close to a community water point just close to the ramp - The ramp will hold a stock equivalent to one month harvesting quota - Volume scheduling at ramp will be FiFO (first in first out) Production costs Below is a template for use in computing production volumes and costs to monitor performance. Activity Daily output (m3) Cost Felling xx Dragging and Hauling xx Haul to sawmill xx Loading xx Total xx The annual target is pegged at xxxx (m3) Health and safety - Safety protective clothing that include overalls, helmets, leather gloves and steel cap shoes will be provided - The employees will occasionally go for safety briefing and training under St Luke’s hospital - Siting of camp will be as per the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare regulations - Periodic fogging to prevent mosquito breeding will be done in collaboration with the local Environmental Health Technician (EHT). - A first aid kit must be made available at the camp - Both radio and cellphone communication will be used for normal communication and as an emergency response plan. Water and sanitation - Two pit latrines will be constructed on camp site to cater for both male and female employees - Employees out in the field will use cat sanitation - water containers will be provided for the purposes of water storage - oil and fuel will be kept under lock in a storeroom floored with sawdust to avoid spillage on the ground Spots and Recreation A social team in conjunction with the community will be established using Mafa School. Page 140 Map of the area to be harvested. See next page. Page 141 Page 142 Annex 6: Medical Emergency Response Procedure 1. Trained Health and Safety Designee will stabilize injured party as much as possible and as necessary 2. If injured party can be moved, transport him or her to St Lukes Hospital in Lupane 3. If injured party cannot be moved, call St Lukes Hospital on 0772 462 569 , 4. Notify the District Conservator immediately 5. Incident must be recorded and reported to the province, head office FC Authorities, WWF World Bank and NSSA Annex 7: National Policy, Laws and Regulations Governing the Project The kiln will be installed and operate in accordance with national laws for compliance. The specific legislation that the Project is subject to includes; 1.2.1 The National Environment Policy and Strategies (June 2009) The policy’s vision is to alleviate poverty and improve the quality of life of the people of Zimbabwe. To achieve this vision the goal of the policy is to prevent irreversible environmental damage, maintain essential environmental processes and preserve the broad spectrum of biological diversity .This will sustain the long term ability of natural resources to meet basic needs of people, enhance food security, reduce poverty, and improve the standard of living of Zimbabweans through long term economic growth and the creation of employment. 1.2.2 Environmental Management Act (Cap. 20:27) The Act provides for the sustainable management of natural resources and protection of the environment; the prevention of pollution and Page 143 environmental degradation; the preparation of a National Environmental Plan and other plans for the management and protection of the environment. This calls for minimization of environmental damage during the pre-operational, operational and post operation activities of prescribed development initiatives. 1.2.3 The National Museums and Monument Act (Cap. 25:11) The Act protects the archaeological and paleontological heritage of Zimbabwe. Section 4 Subsection 2(e), requires National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe to “initiate, participate and monitor scientific research into any matter pertaining to Zimbabwe’s cultural, historic and natural heritage”. Section 20(c) requires all commercial developers to carry out archaeological and paleontological impact assessments before any development takes place. 1.2.4 Archaeological Impact Assessments – Guidelines for Planning Authorities and Developers The guidelines were crafted in order to reinforce the National Museum and Monument Act (Cap. 25/11) in its endeavour to protect the archaeological and paleontological heritage during development of projects. They spell out the need to investigate a site before the intended development commences. The investigation would reveal the site conditions and what mitigation measures to be taken in the event that archaeological and paleontological material are associated with the site. 1.2.5 Parks and Wildlife Act (Cap. 20:14) This Act deals with the protection of wildlife, conservation, propagation or control of the wild life, fish and plants of Zimbabwe and the protection of the landscape and scenery to confer privileges of owners or occupies of alienated land as custodians of wildlife, fish and plants among other things. Section 59 prohibits development and activities that are likely to seriously affect, endanger or injure special protected plants and animals. Page 144 Section 48 lists specially protected indigenous plants; the plants specified in the first column of the Seventh Schedule are declared to be specially protected indigenous plants. Section 50 states that no person shall pick any specially protected indigenous plant except in terms of a permit issued in terms of section fifty- one. 1.2.6 Public Health Act (Cap.15:09) The Act deals with: Control of infectious diseases Notification by medical practitioners (sections 19 & 37), Sale of unwholesome, diseased or contaminated articles of food (section 69), Examination of premises (section 90) Prohibitions in respect of back-to-back dwellings and rooms without through ventilation (section 93), all buildings shall comply with the specifications of this Act. 1.2.7 Forest Act (Cap. 19:05) The Act sets guidelines for the management of woodlands and forest on either state or private land and also provides for the control of exploitation of forest resources. 1.2.8 Land Survey Act (Cap.20:12) Deals with beacons and boundaries, it stipulates that beacons and boundaries lawfully established shall be impeachable where they have been established by re-survey and diagrams approved, or where their positions and diagrams have been approved in the original. 1.2.9 Regional, Town and Country Planning Act (Cap. 29:12) The main objectives of the statutory instrument are: Page 145 To provide for the planning of regions, districts and local areas with the objective of conserving and improving the physical environment and in particular promoting health, safety, order, amenity, convenience and general welfare, as well as efficiency and economy in the process of development and the improvement of communication, To authorize the working of regional plans, master plans and local plans, whether rural or urban and to also provide for the acquisition of land, To provide for the protection of urban and rural amenities and the preservation of building and trees and generally to regulate the appearance of townscape and landscape, to provide for the acquisition of land. 1.2.10 Water Act (Cap. 20:24) The Water Act spells out that water belongs to the state. The Act provides for: The planning of optimum development and utilisation of water resources of Zimbabwe. The application for the rights to use and control public waters and the prevention and control of water pollution. 1.2.11 Roads Act (Cap. 13:12) This Act sets requirements and regulations for the use and protection of roads. 1.2.12 Atmospheric Air Pollution Regulations (S.I. 72 of 2009) These regulations underpin the importance of reducing dust and fumes emissions to the required specifications or limits. 1.2.13 Effluent and Solid Waste Disposal Regulations (S.I. 6 of 2007) The statutory instrument provides for disposal of effluent and solid wastes in manner that does not adversely affect the environment. Page 146 1.2.14 Hazardous Substances, Pesticide and Other Toxic Substances Regulations (S.I. 12 of 2007) This regulation provides for the safe handling and use of hazardous substances. 1.2.15 Hazardous Waste Management Regulations (S.I. 10 of 2007) This regulation refers to the management and safe disposal of hazardous waste substances and materials. 1.2.16 The Labour ACT (Chapter. 28:01) Installation of the wood kiln and its operation (referred to as the activity) will adhere to Zimbabwe labour code and standards, i.e. minimum wage, workplace subject to labour inspection and in compliance with the ACT which was promulgated to declare and define the fundamental rights of employees; to define unfair labour practices; to regulate conditions of employment and other related matters; to provide for the control of wages and salaries; to provide for the appointment and functions of workers committees; to provide for the prevention of unfair labour practices. Thus the Act provides for the employees rights and obligations. OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ACT (85 of 1993)28 The Act provides for the health and safety of persons at work and for the health and safety of persons in connection with the use of plant and machinery; the protection of persons other than persons at work against hazards to health and safety arising out of or in connection with the activities of persons at work 28 https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b- ab&q=OCCUPATIONAL+HEALTH+%26+SAFETY+ACT+%2885+OF+1993%29 Page 147 Annex 8: World Bank Requirements Safeguards Policies OP 4.01 Environmental Assessment The Environmental Assessment policy requires projects receiving funding from the World Bank to identify, avoid, and mitigate the any potential negative environmental and social impacts associated with its activities, while enhancing the positive benefits. This ESMP and the associated HSBCP ESMF fulfil those requirements for this wood drying kiln installation and operation. OP 4.04 Natural Habitats Page 148 The Natural Habitats policy seeks to ensure that World Bank-supported infrastructure and other development projects take into account the conservation of biodiversity, as well as the numerous environmental services and products which natural habitats provide to human society. The policy strictly limits the circumstances under which any Bank-supported project can damage natural habitats (land and water areas where most of the native plant and animal species are still present). Specifically, the policy prohibits Bank support for projects which would lead to the significant loss or degradation of any Critical Natural Habitats, whose definition includes those natural habitats which are legally protected, officially proposed for protection, or unprotected but of known high conservation value. Gwaai Forest is a legally protected area mostly to prevent illegal and widespread deforestation but it does not have any rare, threatened, endangered or vulnerable (RTE&V) species. It is most appropriately classified as a protected area with sustainable use of natural resources. This is a largely natural area where low-level non-industrial use of natural resources compatible with nature conservation is one of the main aims of the area. In this case, sustainable timber harvesting is the main objective for the conservation of this habitat. OP 4.10 Indigenous Peoples This policy contributes to the Bank’s mission of poverty reduction and sustainable development by ensuring that the development process fully respects the dignity, human rights, economies, and cultures of Indigenous Peoples (IP). For all projects that are proposed for Bank financing and affect Indigenous Peoples, the Bank requires the borrower to engage in a process Page 149 of free, prior, and informed consultation. The Bank recognizes that the identities and cultures of Indigenous Peoples are inextricably linked to the lands on which they live and the natural resources on which they depend. For purposes of this policy, the term “Indigenous Peoples” is used in a generic sense to refer to distinct, vulnerable, social and cultural groups possessing the following characteristics in varying degrees: • self-identification as members of a distinct indigenous cultural group and recognition of this identity by others • collective attachment to geographically distinct habitats or ancestral territories in the project area and to the natural resources in these habitats and territories • customary cultural, economic, social, or political institutions that are separate from those of the dominant society and culture; and • an indigenous language, often different from the official language of the country or region. San People in the Tsholotsho district adjacent to the Hwange National Park are considered IP. An Indigenous Peoples Planning Framework for HSBCP has been prepared, consulted upon in a culturally appropriate manner and publicly disclosed in Zimbabwe and on the World Bank external website. OP 4.36 Forests The Bank's forests policy aims to reduce deforestation, enhance the environmental contribution of forested areas, promote forestation, reduce poverty, and encourage economic development. The Bank’s policy is anchored on three equally important and interdependent pillars to guide future Bank involvement with forests: • Harnessing the potential of forests to reduce poverty, • Integrating forests in sustainable economic development, and Page 150 • Protecting vital local and global environmental services and forest values. OP 4.11 Physical Cultural Resources The objective of the policy is to avoid, or mitigate adverse impacts on cultural resources from development projects that the World Bank finances. The policy defines physical cultural resources (PCR) as movable or immovable objects, sites, structures, group of structures and natural features that have archaeological, paleontological, historical, architectural, religious, aesthetic or other cultural significance. Cultural practices such as rainmaking ceremonies and burial sites are some examples of cultural resources covered under the policy. This ESMP includes chance find procedures to guide the course of action if any physical cultural resources are found. OP 4.12 Involuntary Resettlement Involuntary Resettlement is triggered in situations involving involuntary taking of land or involuntary restrictions of access to legally designated parks and protected areas or when the Bank assisted project’s achievement of objectives is dependent on an already existing restriction. The policy aims to avoid involuntary resettlement to the extent feasible, or to minimize and mitigate its adverse social and economic impacts to displaced people. It promotes participation of displaced people in resettlement planning and implementation, and its key economic objective is to assist displaced persons in their efforts to improve or at least restore their incomes and standards of living after displacement. The policy prescribes compensation and other resettlement measures to achieve its objectives and requires that borrowers prepare adequate resettlement planning instruments prior to Bank appraisal of proposed projects. HSBCP has a Process Framework (which was consulted upon and publicly disclosed in Zimbabwe and on the WB external website) because the project involves the Hwange-Sanyati Page 151 protected area which restricts community access to resources. O.P 4.12- Involuntary Resettlement is triggered when: i. The existing restriction to resources is directly and significantly related to the Bank-assisted project. ii. The existing restriction to resources is necessary to achieve the objectives of a Bank-assisted project. iii. The restriction is carried out or planned to be carried out, contemporaneously with the Bank–assisted project. World Bank Environmental, Health and Safety Guidelines The Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Guidelines are technical reference documents with general and industry-specific examples of Good International Industry Practice (GIIP)29. When one or more members of the World Bank Group are involved in a project, these EHS Guidelines are applied as required by their respective policies and standards. These General EHS Guidelines are designed to be used together with the relevant Industry Sector EHS Guidelines which provide guidance to users on EHS issues in specific industry sectors. The EHSG most important for this project in the General Guidelines30 are the 1.1 Air Emissions and Ambient Air Quality, 1.3 Wastewater and Ambient Water Quality, 1.6 Waste Management, 1.7 Noise, Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) 2.3 Physical Hazards, 2.7 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), 3.2 Structural Safety of Project Infrastructure and OHS under Construction/Decommissioning 4.2 as well as 4.3 Community Health and Safety. The relevant industry specific guidelines include the Sawmilling and Wood-based Products Guidelines and 29 Defined as the exercise of professional skill, diligence, prudence and foresight that would be reasonably expected from skilled and experienced professionals engaged in the same type of undertaking under the same or similar circumstances globally. The circumstances that skilled and experienced professionals may find when evaluating the range of pollution prevention and control techniques available to a project may include, but are not limited to, varying levels of environmental degradation and environmental assimilative capacity as well as varying levels of financial and technical feasibility. 30 World Bank Group: International Finance Corporation. General Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines, www.ifc.org/ehsguidelines, April 30, 2007. Page 152 Forest Harvesting Operations.3132 All EHSG are located online at www.ifc.org/ehsguidelines. Annex 9: Grievance Redress Mechanism for Forestry Commission FORESTRY COMMISSION GRIEVANCE HANDLING PROCEDURE GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE DIAGRAM OF STEPS STEP 7 MINISTRY OF PUBLIC SERVICE, LABOUR MANPOWER PLANNING & SOCIAL WELFARE ______________________________ STEP 6 GENERAL MANAGERS 31 World Bank Group: International Finance Corporation . Sawmilling & Manufactured Wood Products Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines: , www.ifc.org/ehsguidelines, April 30, 2007. 32 World Bank Group: International Finance Corporation . Forest Harvesting Operations Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines, www.ifc.org/ehsguidelines, April 30, 2007. Page 153 WITHIN 10 WORKING DAYS ______________________________ STEP 5 DIVISIONAL/DEPARTMENTAL HEARING TO HEAD OF DEPARTMENT.................. PERSONNEL REPRESENTATIVE: EMPLOYEE......................................................................... SUPERVISOR EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATIVE .............................................................WITNESS WITHIN 14 WORKING DAYS STEP 4 INQUIRY HEAD OF SECTION, EMPLOYEE, AND EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATIVE:- SUPERVISOR WITHIN 5 WORKING DAYS Page 154 STEP 3 WRITTEN GRIEVANCE EMPLOYEE........................................................................... HEAD OF OFFICE WITHIN 2 WORKING DAYS STEP 2 VERBAL GRIEVANCE EMPLOYEE AND EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATIVE ....................... .... SUPERIOR WITHIN 2 WORKING DAYS _________________________________________________________________________________ STEP 1 VERBAL GRIEVANCE EMPLOYEE.............................................................................................. SUPERIOR WITHIN 2 WORKING DAYS ___________________________________________________________________________ Page 155 GRIEVANCE PROCEDURE STEPS EXPLANATION NOTES Step 1 The employee advises supervisor of his/her or public’s grievance and the Supervisor should resolve it within two working days. OR employee or public can make use of the onsite grievance box which accommodates anonymous complaints. The District Conservator has the responsibility to record all the grievances both from the employees and from the public at the local level. Step 2 If an employee is not satisfied with the supervisor's resolution to his/her grievance given under Step 1, he shall seek the assistance of the Workers' Committee Member to witness the discussion of the grievance between the employee and supervisor. The member of the Workers' Committee acts as a mediator. Step 3 If the grievance is not resolved within two working days, the employee shall report his/her grievance to the Supervisor's head of office in writing. The Head of Office shall resolve the grievance within two working days and shall advise the employee in writing. Step 4 Page 156 If the grievance is not resolved under Step 3, the Head of Office shall call an enquiry into the grievance within five working days. The enquiry panel shall be composed of :- (a) Head of Office [Chairman] (b) Personnel Representative [Advisor] (c) Employee Representative (d) Recorder of Minutes (e) Complaining Employee (f) Supervisor of complaining employee N.B. It will be noted that the Personnel Representative (b) and the recorder of minutes (d) are not members of the panel. The panel at the end of the enquiry shall advise the complaining employee and Supervisor of its findings and recommend solution to the grievances in writing. Step 5 If the employee is not satisfied he/she may appeal in writing to the Divisional/Departmental Manager who on receipt of the notification of grievance shall convene an enquiry and hear the grievance within fourteen working days. The Panel shall be composed of:- 1 Divisional Manger [Chairman] 2 Management Representative [external to the section where the grievance is from] 3 The Workers' Representative Page 157 In attendance shall be:- 1 Personnel Representative 2 Recorder of Minutes. Procedure 1 The Panel shall examine the record of previous enquiry and may conclude the issue on that basis or 2 The Panel may, in addition to the examination of the record, call for evidence or more information from the complaining employee and the Supervisor of complaining employee and Head of Office. 3 The panel shall reach a conclusion and advise the complaining employee, his/her Supervisor and Head of Office of its findings, in writing. Step 6 If the complaining employee is still not satisfied, he/she shall submit his grievance to the General Manager, in writing, stating the reasons of his dissatisfaction with the outcomes of steps 1-5. On receipt of the grievance notification, the General Manager shall convene an enquiry into the grievance and conclude the matter in ten working days. The Panel shall be composed of:- Page 158 1 General Manager/Deputy General Manager [Chairman] 2 Manager of Division other than where the grievance is from 3 Two Workers' Representatives In attendance shall be:- 1 Manager Human Resources & Administration 2 Recorder of Minutes Page 159 Procedure The Panel shall examine the records of previous enquiries and may conclude the grievance on those bases. If the panel notices any contradicting information it may call either complaining employee and/or the Divisional Manager to come and clarify the points. At the end of the enquiry, the Panel shall decide on the grievance which decision is final. The decision shall be communicated to the complaining employee and Divisional Manager in writing. Step 7 If the employee is not satisfied by the decision of the panel set by the General Manager and wishes to pursue his grievance further, by going external, he/she shall advise the organisation of his/her intention. The public can call on +263 4 498436-9, communicate through the FC website www.forestry.co.zw( info@forestry.co.zw) or the suggestion box at the Lupane FC Office with questions and complaints. FC will track and resolve all complaints in accordance with their grievance redress mechanism. This system allows for escalation of issues from the lowest level in FC to the CEO and the Board if there is no resolution. The District Conservator will track and resolve complaints. If the complaint is not resolved, the Chief Conservator becomes responsible. If the matter is still not resolved, it goes to the Deputy General Manager. If not satisfied, the complainant can escalate to the General Manager, the Board and eventually to the Ministry responsible for Environment who will resolve it. Stakeholders have access to any level in the hierarchy at any time. Page 160 Page 161 Annex 10: Grievance Redress Mechanism for the Hwange-Sanyati Biological Corridor Project September 2018 Grievance Redress Mechanism for the Hwange-Sanyati Biological Corridor Project include the statement after project decommissioning. Objective To ensure equitable resolution to any grievances brought forward by any stakeholders that would have been affected by the implementation of the Hwange-Sanyati Biological Corridor Project (HSBCP) in a timely and cost-effective manner Project implementation structure The HSBCP is a GEF/World Bank funded project that is being executed by WWF-Zimbabwe and implemented by the Government of Zimbabwe through 4 agencies; namely Parks and Wildlife Management Authority, Environmental Management Agency, Forestry Commission and Communal Page 162 Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources (CAMPFIRE Association). These 4 organizations are the ones that have direct contact with stakeholders and communities in the areas of project implementation, while WWF has direct contact with the implementing partners and suppliers in the procurement process. Project stakeholders Project stakeholders include but are not limited to other government departments, community members/leaders, suppliers, service providers, churches, business community and institutions such as schools. Grievances redress systems in the partner organizations Each of the 4 partner organizations has their own systems for addressing grievances and established pipelines for escalation in case of a non-resolution. In order not to establish parallel structures, the project will adopt the use of existing resolution mechanisms for each partner organization. This means that FC’s system will be used for this activity. These systems allow for escalation of issues from the lowest level in the organization to the CEO and the Board if there is no resolution. From the Board, the complaint procedurally goes to the Ministry responsible for Environment who will resolve it. Stakeholders have access to any level in the hierarchy at any time. It is the responsibility of all partners to ensure that awareness on the GRM is created for all stakeholders and they know where to direct their complaints using communication channels specified in the HSBC Communications Strategy. Grievance redress in WWF-Zimbabwe When these systems have failed, the complainant can lodge the complaint with WWF-Zimbabwe as the executing agency. It is important to note that some complaints can come directly to WWF-Zimbabwe and WWF is obliged to address them even though they may not have gone through the responsible partner. When WWF receives the complaint, it will be logged in a complaints register which will be in the format in Table 1. The grievance shall be responded to within 5 working days. Table 1: Format of complaints register No. Date Name of Project Issue Mode of Responsibility Resolution Date of complainant component communication resolution & Feedback Page 163 The complaints register shall be maintained at WWF-Zimbabwe office under the responsibility of the Conservation Manager and shall be made available to all interested parties. World Bank resolution mechanism The complainant also has the right to lodge a complaint with the World Bank, which shall trigger its own grievance resolution mechanism. Contact details for lodging complaints World Bank www.worldbank.org Fraud & Corruption option provided on World Banks website WWF-Zimbabwe 10 Lanark Road Belgravia, Harare, +263 24 252532/4 wwfzimbabwe@wwf.org.zw The email address is accessible by the Project Finance Analyst (responsible for internal controls & risk management) Complainants also have the option of calling on the toll free Fraud & Corruption lines responded to from WWF International Head Office in Switzerland. The numbers are 8644041044 Ministry of Environment, Tourism and Hospitality Industry 12th floor Kaguvi Cnr 4th and Central Avenue, Harare Tel: + 263 470 1681-3 Zimbabwe Parks and Wildlife Management Authority Botanical Gardens, Cnr Borrowdale Road/Sandringham Drive, Harare Page 164 Telephone: 0772433901 Environmental Management Agency Stand No 685/6 Cnr Lorraine/Faber Drive Bluff hill Website: www.ema.co.zw Toll free: 08080028 Forestry Commission 1 Orange Groove Box HG 139 Highlands Harare, Zimbabwe Tel: +263 4 498436 – 9 CAMPFIRE Association Mukuvisi Woodlands Corner Glenara South/Hillside Road P. O. 661 Harare, Zimbabwe Tel: +263 4 747429/30 Website: http: www.campfirezimbabwe.org Page 165 Annex 11: Solid Waste Management Plan Under the HSBCP, FC has purchased and will install a wood drying kiln. This will necessitate construction to form a foundational slab and to erect the kiln and timbershed. Accordingly, these activities will generate minimal waste during construction and operation of the kiln. Harvesting Harvesting activities are ongoing and solid waste management (timber offcuts) will proceed in accordance with current FC practices. Construction and Decommissioning FC will prevent and control construction site solid waste as per national guidelines (Statutory Instrument 6 of 2007) and EHSG General Section 1.6 Environmental Waste Management and 4.1 Construction and Decommissioning using a waste management hierarchy that considers prevention, reduction, reuse, recovery, recycling, removal and finally disposal of wastes.33 · It will be priority to avoid or minimize the generation of waste materials, as far as practicable. Where waste cannot be recovered or reused, it will be treated, destroyed, and/or disposed of in an environmentally sound manner. Non-hazardous solid waste generated at the construction and decommissioning site may include excess fill materials from grading and excavation activities, scrap wood and metals, and small concrete spills. The work site is relatively small and any potential release of hazardous materials like petroleum based products, such as lubricants, hydraulic fluids, or fuels during use of equipment, would be minor and without significant impact. Nonetheless, techniques for prevention, minimization, and control of these impacts include: • Providing adequate secondary containment for the temporary storage of fluids such as lubricating oils and hydraulic fluids as necessary • Training workers on the correct transfer and handling of chemicals such as lubricants as necessary • Providing cleanup equipment on site and training in the equipment deployment Operation of the kiln should only produce small amounts of additional waste including ash from the burning of the wood off cuts which will be disposed of at the Lukosi dumpsite because the kiln will only 33 World Bank Group: International Finance Corporation. General Environmental, Health, and Safety Guidelines, www.ifc.org/ehsguidelines, April 30, 2007. Page 166 dry out the wood. In fact, the kiln will provide an environmental benefit of using up the wood offcuts and waste from the sawmill in the boiler. Page 167 Annex 12: ESMP Preparers Name Position Signature Date Compiled BSES Lead July 2019 By Consultants Consultant Responsible Bernard Forest July 2019 Person Chiparange Commission District Conservator Alleta HSBCP PIU September Nyahuye (WWF 2019 Zimbabwe) Page 168