© Rodney Amster
3. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN As part of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report from 2019, ReconAfrica included an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) as the third volume. The EMP describes the mitigation measures that should take place to provide an effective management/protection of the surface and groundwater resources, including the general water resources usage during the exploration phase (Table 3.11 in EMP report, here displayed as Table 1). Many of the mitigation measures are designed to minimize the water usage on the drill sites. The report identifies that wastewater discharges to any ephemeral river channel (public stream) are prohibited. Where water boreholes should be drilled to supply the drill sites, permission (abstraction licences) is required from the appropriate authorities such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Water and
BASELINE WATER QUALITY ASSESSMENT
Land Reform (MAWLR) and from land owners (communities). Finally, a groundwater monitoring system is recommended to be established during and after exploration activities take place, and full access to the results must be shared with the affected communities and landowners. Recommendations 4, 10, 11 and 12 do not appear to have been followed to date.
