Proposal for a pilot project on environmental impact assessment in the OCP area

Onchocerciasis Control Pro8ramme in West Africa Programme de Lutte contre l'Onchocercose en Afrique de I'Ouest JOINT PROGRAMME COMMITTEE Office of the Chairman JOINT PROGRAMME COMITTEE Thirteenth session GenevaS-l I December 1992 JPC - CCP COMITE CONJOINT DU PROGRAMMEBureau du President JPCl3.13 ORIGINAL: ENGLISH September 1992 Provisional agenda item l3 DRAFT PROPOSAL FOR A PILOT PROJECT ON E}.IVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT IN THE OCP AREA Prepared and submitted blr the Committee of Sponsoring Aeencies ONCHOCER,CIASIS CONTROL PROGRAMMB IN WEST AFRICA Draft Proposal for s Pilot Proiect on Environmental ImDact Assessment in the OCP Area 1 l. Badqround i.l The major achievemens of the Onchocerciasis Control Programme in West Africa (OCP) can be summarized as follOws: - 30 million people protected from onchocercal disease; - the human reservoir of the parasite epidemiologically insiguificant throughout the Originat Programme area; - 9 million children born since OCP operations commenced spared the risk of onchocercal blindness; - 1.5 million people originally infectd by onchocerciasis are no longer so, and 150,000 people have been prevented from going blind; - 15 million hecures of fertile riverain land, previously deserted in fear of conuacting onchocerciasis have been made available for human resettlement and agricultural develop- ment, and; - the establishment and operatiou of a highly efEcient service for the monitoring of the aquatic environment, fully staffed by nationals of the Participating Counuies. 1.2 What has been less widely publicized is the fact that although the OCP strategy relies on the repeated application of chemical insecticides and biological control agents to the aquatic breeding sites of the blackfly vectorc, there have been no significant disturbances of the aquatic environments throughout the Programme area. In fact, the environmental soundness of the OCP strategy has been repeatedly demonstrated by regular aquatic monitoring and assessment activities which are conducted by national hydrobiology tear$, and regularly reviewed by the Ecological Group of the Expert Advisory Committee (EAC). 1.3 Despite the proven environmental soundness of the OCP vector control strategy, which has resulted in such remarkable achievements, there has been growing concern in different quarters that human resettlement in onchocerciasis-controlled valleys will impose new threats to the environment; with regard to both the aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Increases in pesticide use and in other potential pollutant loads, and physical modifications to the environment (for example, by the destruction of gallery foress and the construction of dams) could all, directly or indirectly, have adverse effecs on the quality and productivity of the many watercourses involved. 1.4 From the careful analysis of the aquatic monitoring data collected in the Original Programme areas over the last two years, strong scientific evidence is now available to substantiate these concerns. As described in the Progress Report of the World Health Organization for 1992 (document OCP/PR/92, JPC 13.2), environnentd snrdies carried out on watercourses which are no longer under irsecticidal treatment have shown that faunal recolonization is in progress, but that in certain casqs, the extent of human activities has contributed to a degradation of the environment, resulting in an impoverishment of the fauna. The upper River Leraba in Burkina Faso provides a good example of where this type of situation now exists. 1 Prepared and submitted by the committee of sponsoring Agencies 21.5 These maffers were given careful consideration by the Comminee of Sponsoring Agencies (CSA) when, in 1991, the committee was discussing how best it could support the OCP Participating Countries in socioeconomic development during the Programme's fourth Financial Phase. At the close of its deliberations, the CSA agreed that one of its primary activities during that Phase should relate to the convening of a ministerial conference on sustainable land settlement, and to sponsoring an examination of the conditions of use and environmental impact of agrochemicals in the OCP area; building on the Programme's expertise in pesticide usage and monitoring. 1.6 During is 12th session the Joint Programme Committee (JPC) endorsed the CSA's proposed work prograrrme, with several Donors and Panicipating Countries expressing keen interest in the CSA's proposal to address some of the broader environmental aspects of settlement and development in the OCP area; more specifically in the first instance, to undertake an environmental impact assessment of agrochemicals. At the same time, representatives of the Ecological Group stressed the importance of taking a broader view of environmental issues, especially in the context of water resource coruiervation and management and confirmed that they were ready to provide the CSA with whatever advice and assistance was necessary to enable the CSA to formulate an appropriate plan of action. 1.7 Accordingly, in January 1992 when the Ecological Group met for is 13th session, it devoted an appreciable amount of time to discussing broader environmental issues and to the formulation of proposals to the CSA for shrdies on the environmental impact of human settlement, and of agrochem- ical and other potential polluunts of man-made origin. These proposals where subsequently reviewed by the CSA and the EAC. For ease of reference, the relevant sections of the Reports of the Ecological Group (document OCP/EAC/92.1) and of the CSA's 53rd session, are attached hereto as Annexes I and 2. 1.8 Recognizing that changes to the terrestrid environment and/or the entry of large quantities of polluuns into the aquatic environments of resenled valleys could result in depletions of fish and invertebrates, bio-accumulation of chemicals in fish and the impairment of water for human consump- tion, the EAC endorsed the Ecological Group's environmental project proposd to the CSA. 1.9 Pursuant to these developments representatives of the Ecological Group, the World Bank and the OCP met in Washington in September 1992 to prepare this document. 2. hrrpose of the Study 2.1 Within the framework of any programme of sustainable land settlement and development full recognition of and provision for environmental issues have to be integral components of any plan. The onchocerciasis+ontrolled zones of the OCP area, which are available for resettlement and development are no exception to this development philosophy. It is therefore considered both timely and appropriate that environmental impact assessments be made in selected pars of the Programme area. 2.2 For these assessments to be made in such a way as to provide the ma:rimum of information needed by development planners, a tri-partite approach has to be considered. In the first instance, all information on the selected areas will have to be assembled, analyzeA and entered into a computerized data-base system. On the basis of this information, and taking into account established procedures for environmental impact assessments, the next step will involve the formulation of the assessment methodology most appropriate to local conditions. The third and final step will be to implement the Jdefined methodology, and on the basis of the results obtained, determine the environmental compati- bility of the settlement areas. 2.3 In most cases, when an area becomes newly settled or when there is increased development in an existing settlement area, the water compartment of the environment (as opposed to the soil and air compartments) is the first one to be adversely affected by these events. For this reason alone it is important that any environmental impact shrdies give high priority to water quality and ensure that it is a key element of the end point of the final analysis. In the present context it is even more important to give special attention to river water quality, for three main reasons. Firstly, the West African savanna continues to experience the ravages of an extended drought. Secondly, increasing modifications to the physical environment (constnrction of dams, destruction of gallery foress, opin- cast mining and other changes resulting from increased land-use) are significurtly affecting both the quantity and quality of river water. And, thirdly, the OCP already has an extensive historical data- base for the fish and invertebrate populations of many of the rivers covered by is operations. 2.4 In more specific terms, the resuls obtained from an environmental impact assessment should enable the investigators to determine if the water quality has deteriorated to a level at which it adversely affects fish and invertebrate productivity, permits bioaccumulation of chemicals in fish, and becomes unsuitable for human consumption. 3. Methodological Approactr 3.1 It is proposed to use ahazud assessment procedure that is basically a comparison between quality criteria or objectives, and environmental loads or concentrations of certain pollutants. On the recommendation of the Ecological Group such an approach has already been used by OCp staff for ecotoxicological assessments of candidate insecticides for the Programme's vector control operations. How this was done to evaluate the insecticide carbosulfan is presented as an example in Annex 3. The same type of approach has also been frequently used in technologically developed countries and recently for preliminary hazud, assessments in the Winam Gulf Basin Area of Kenya (Calamari et al. L9e2). 3.2 once a study area has been defined the following steps should be performed: a) assessment and quantification of geographic and climatic features; b) mapping of the basin area to indicate land uses (urban areas and industry, physical modifi cations, agricultural uses, natural vegetation, etc.); c) quantification of urban loads (sewage, solid wastes, etc.); d) quantification of industrial loads in relation to the type of industry @roduction and wastes); e) quantification of agricultural loads (pxticides, fertilizers and leaching nutrients, catrle manure); f) collection of existing data on water quality and a preliminary monitoring campaign(biological and chemical monitoring). g) assessment of environmental capacity, identification of chemicals for risk priority studies, estimation of mass balances of pollutants; etc.; h) environmental impact assessment: identification of areas at risk, or pollutants that could provoke environmental risk and proposals for more sophisticated investigations and/or remedial actions. 43.3 Applying this approach to the OCP areas for pilot studies (for identification of the best methodological approach according to the proposed guidelines and goals in the specific conditions of the OCP countries) it is proposed o select two arqu with different ecological characteristics, settlement and lurd use influence, and scale of the drainage basin, having as reference poins rwo sufions where long-term monitoring of fish and invertebrates wiul done by hydrobiologicd teams of the OCP and the Participating Countries. 3.4 The pilot studies should be conducted in a stepwise fashion, and at the following three levels of resolution: - local scale, around the monitoring station, 1-5 km2. - medium scale, looking with some precision at the loads and their influence on the valley, for approximately 30 km upstream of the sampling point and 5 km on either side of the water course; - basin scale, to provide a general view of the situation of the whole basin. 3.5 The three levels of resolution mentioned will give different types of information and could allow different types of interventions: - local scale; point modifications in well known areas where detailed information is currently available, as well as historical records. Results can be used for comparison with other point areas and to forecast funrre modifications. - medium scale; evaluation of the impact on the sampling point through a medium sized stretch of the river (approximately 50 km of rivers). Results can be a model for immediate intervention and remedial action at the scale of local administration. - basin scale; evaluation on large scale of impact, long term and long distance. Results relevant for large scale planning and long term interventions at a national/basin level. 4. The Pilot Study Areas 4.1 General Features of the Areas 4.1.1 The two areas selected for pilot studies on environmental impacs of resettlement and development are: a) The upper Leraba Basin of south-western Burkina Faso, located between latitudes 10 15' and 11' 00' North and longitudes 5o (X)' and 5' 35' West, and with a catchment area of approximately 4,550 km2 (see Annex 4). b) The upper White Bandama Basin @andama Blanc) of north-central Cote d'Ivoire, located berween latitudes 8o 45' and l0 15' North and longitudes 5o 00' and 6" 10' West, and with a catchment area of approximately 14,150 km2 (see Annex 4). 54.1.2 From the point of view of hydrobiology, the rivers which drain these areas all belong to the Sudanian Group. Consequently, from the clima:r perspective their fish and invertebrate populations are basically tle same, which facilitates direct faunal comparisons between them. However, in other respects @io-climatological, hydrological, human population density, industrialization, etc.) the trvo study areas are distinct. 4.1.3. The Leraba Basin, the smaller of the two areas, is located in the dry Sudanian savanna vegetation zone. It is drained by the Leraba Occidentale in the west and south, and by the Leraba Orientale in the north and east. A few kilometres below the junction of these two main tributaries the main Leraba is crossed by the Bobo Dioulasso-Abidjan road bridge which also marls the site of a hydrological sBtion and an OCP aquatic monitoring station (designated Leraba Bridge). Subsistence agriculture is the predominant occupation of the relatively small, but expanding human population of this area. There are only three centres of relatively modest urbanization, at Sindou (near the centre of the area), Niankorodougou (in the south) and soubakaniedougou (in the east). 4.1.4. Having been severely affected by onchocerciasis the upper Leraba Basin was one of the first areas to be brought under OCP vector control operations, in 1975. The operations were phased out at the end of the 1980's, in view of the sustained excellent entomological and epidemiological results obtained. Resettlement is now well under way. 4.1.5. The White Bandama Basin is located more or less due south of the upper Leraba Basin, in an area of moister Guinean savanna. Hydrologically it is much more complex. In the upper most part of the basin the main Bandama channel is fed by four important tributaries, the yore-Lbhro, - Sindiougouba, Badenou and Lokpoho, while the lowermost main channel receives the waters of the Solomougou, Farakouo and Silue. The southern boundary of this area is defined by the Niaka Bridge which carries the road linking Niakaramandougou with the diamond mines at Toniya. Niaka BridgJ is also the site of a hydrological station and an OCP aquatic monitoring station. Aithough subsiste-nce agriculture is practiced throughout the area, the middle reaches of the Bandama valley have been extensively developed for commercial sugar cane production and sugar refinement. Although pars of the basin were severely affected by onchocerciasis, human population density is high and therjare several centres of urbanization. The largest are Korhogo and Ferkessedougou (cloiely associated with the sugar industry). Other significant towns include Niofouin, Mbingue, Nielle, Diaouala, Ouangolo- dougou, Sinematiali and Koumballa in the upper basin, and Tiaroniaradougou, Guiembe, Karakoio, Komborodougou and Napieoledougou in the lower basin. Like the upper Leraba Basin, the upper Bandama benef,rtted from OCP vector control operations from 1975 until the end of the l9g0s. 4.2 Requirements for Maps 4.2.L In order that environmental impact assessments can be made at three different levels of resolution (ocal, medium and basin) it will be necessary to prepare special maps and associated data- bases for the nvo areas, so that all the data collected can be appropriately analyzed by Geographic Information Systems (GIS) computer programmes. 4.2.2 Maps will be required at three different scales, each one corresponding to a level of analytical resolution. The scales of the maps envisaged are: l:500.000 for analyses at the basin level of resolution; presenting basic geographic informa- tion (settlements, lines of communication, rivers, rainfall and overall land-use pitt.*.j. 61:100.0fi) for analysis at the medium level of resolution, covering only that part of each basin containing the lowermost 50 km of the maiu river, presenting more detailed information on paBems of seulement and land-use. 1:50fi) for analyses at the local level of resolution, covering the immediate surroundings of the aquatic moniOring station (100-2m m downstream of the sufion and 1-2 km upstream, and ten river widths on either side of the river); presenting detailed information on the configuration of the watercourse, and on the type and extent of gallery forest vegetation. 4.2.3 Maps at scale of 1:500,0fl) exist for the pilot study areas and can be used !o produce the base maps reqgired for environmental assessments at the basin level. Likewise, existing maps at scale t:200,000 can be scaled-up to produce the l:100,000 base maps needed for medium resolution analyses. It is also possible that at least some maps at scale 1: 100,000 already exist in the archives of FAO, ORSTOM and national geographic instinrtions in Burkina Faso and Cote d'Ivoire. 4.2.4 Maps at scale 1:50fi) do not currently exist and will therefore have to be specially drawn from aerial photographs to meet the requiremens of local resolution analyses 4.3 Data-bases 4.3.1 It is evident that for the pilot areas selected, a considerable amount of information already exists, and could make an important input to the establishment of data-bases. Most probably, all the information that would be required on hydrology and on fish and invertebrate populations can be immediately accessed from the OCP's computerized data bank. 4.3.2 It is equally apparent that ses of information dealing with other piuirmeters (climate, settlement pasen5, pesticides, land-use, etc.) are dispersed in the archives of national instinrtions and assistance igencies, and in the literanrre. As they have been collected for a variety of other purposes, they are unlikely to be in a form that is immediately manageable. Consequently, some of the most imionant activilies in the initial phases of the proposed investigations will be to identify where the infbruration is stored, to assemble it, and to iurange it in such a way that it is fully compatible with the indicated iuisessment methodology. 5. Quantification of Urban, Industrial and Agricultural Loads and Assessment of Physical Modifications. 5.1 Quantification of urban loads includes the calculation of organic loads from sewage, septic tanks, pii latrines, and solid wastes from any urban center or village. The estimation of urban loads can be done using the method and the coefficient proposed by lwugo (1990) for African countries. 5.2 The calculation of indusuial loads should be based on the method outlined by WHO (1989). Waste factor loads are listed for each factory or process tJrpe. Quantification is done for each qrpe of industry nrttifying the total production unit by the waste load factor and a penetration factor in cases where treatment facilities exiit. For certain substances a mass balance of use, disposal and discharges may be done if necessary. 75.3 Some chemicals (such as PCBs) are sometimes generated by non-point sources. Therefore the hazatd assessment could be done, if necessary, by means of chemical analysis on appropriate environmental samples. 5.4 The quantification and assessment for pesticides should be based on intrinsic properties of the chemicals (including toxicity, bioaccumulation, persistence, leachability) and the quantity applied on the area. The first step is to collect a list of pesticides used in the area, then to piepare an ecotoxico- logical profile for each of them. The second step is to prepare a list of chemicali that could provoke some risk, taking into account the quantities applied in the catchment area (Calamari et al, tigZ). 5.5 Nutrient loads can be calculated by summing the various sources of contribution (human discharges, animal manure and soil leaching) accord-ing to the various coefficients given in the literature (Vighi and Chiaudani t9E7). 5.6 A quantitative assessment of the gallery forest destruction can be largely done by a compari- son of maps that ailow estimation of where and to what extent there is depletion. Dams and channels can considerably influence the water regime. The extent of flow modification should be estimated by standard hydrometric methods. 5.7 When mining takes place the best way to make an assessment of the length of influence is to make a visual inspection of the sites and a simple analysis of suspended solids ai different flow rares and at different distances downstream of the mining area. 6. Environmental Impact Assessment 6.1 Once all the data required for one pilot study area are available, at three different levels of resolution, the final process is to conduct the overall impact assessment. For this purpose, emphasis will be given to the following three components: - pollutant loads and physical modifications in the study :ueas; - predetermined end poins and quality criteria; - the environmental capacity of the river. 6.2 Pollutant loads should be evaluated according to their sources and to their undesirable consequences. Sewage and human waste can cause oxygen depletion in rivers and in extreme cases anoxia. The same sort of consequences can be provoked by many types of agroprocessing industries. Chemicals originating from various types of industrial activity coutd t are toxlcoiogical imlpacs, and eventually bioaccumulate in fish. Pesticides could have the same type of impact, Uut if teatning occurs they would be present in concentrations that were too low to have an effect on aquatic biota. However, even in low concentrations they could still have a significant influence on watir quality, rendering it unsuitable for human consumption. Physical modifications of the environment, as already stated, could have a sEong influence on river ecology, reducing biomass and fish production. 6.3 In order to determine if such adverse effects have occurred or are likely to occur, one has to define a priori paramePls for river quality and/or faunal ecological conditions, for example, the level of oxygen, the level of fish productivity, unacceptable bioaccumulation and so on. 6.4 If the final comparison of pollutant loads and quality criteria demonstrates that there has been a significant impact, appropriate remedial action must be taken. However, if no significant impact 8can be demonstrated, or predictd, & assessment can be made of the environmental capacity of the river, providing valuable guidance to development planners. Environmental capacity is a property of an environmental comparunent which allows it to receive a cerhin quantlty of pollutans without unwanted consequences (for example a small quantity of oxygendemanding material could be easily incorporated and degraded by a large water body, while the same amount of material could be completely unacceptable in a small stream). By evaluating these parameters, various levels of risk could be identified for the different components of the disturbance factor (organic loads, indusuial substances, pesticides, nutrients, physical modifi cations). 6.5 When the role of various sources of impacs are quantitatively defined, this assessment could point to appropriate measures for reduction and control of pollutans in an optimized way . For example, certain pesticides could be prohibited, treaunent plants for industrial waste could be built if necessary, more settlement could be allowed if the environmental capacity was high, etc. 7. fimetable 7 .L If these proposals meet with the approval of the Joint Programme Committee and attract appropriate financial support from the Donor Community, they would be reformulated into a plan of action during a joint meeting of nationd hydrobiologists, the Ecological Group and the CSA, in January 1993. 7.2 Anticipating that it will take one year to complete the assessments, it is considered important that once the plan of action has been formulated, it be implemented without delay so that the preliminary findings could be made available to the Ministerial Conference on Sustainable Land Settlement, scheduled for October, 1993. 8. Estimation of Costs 8.1 For the time being it is not possible to provide a detailed cost estimate for the two proposed environmentd impact assessments. This is because for parts of the investigations reliable information is not yet available on the local staff and laboratory facilities that will be required. However, every effort will be made over the next few weeks to identify the outstanding resources required and their anticipated coss. 8.2 With regard to some parts of the investigations there are several options for enlisting technical services. For example, and from a purely technical viewpoint, medium- and small-scale base maps could be prepared by ORSTOM (France), the Institute Geographique National - IGN - (France), the IGN of Cote d'Ivoire, the IGN of Burkina Faso, and the OCP's own cartography unit. In such circumstences, the guiding principle in making a choice will be to utilize local services and personnel which belong to the Programme or to the Participating Countries. Thus, in the context of cartogra- phy, an optimal arrangement could be the award of a service contract to the OCP for the drawing of the maps and for sub-contracting to ttre IGN of Burkina Faso for their printing. Likewise, the establishment of data-bases and field studies for the quantification of loads, could probably be best conducted by granting service contracts to the OCP's Hydrobiology Unit and to the national hydrobiology unit (IDRISSA) of Cote d'Ivoire; with both units collaborating closely at each step of the investigations. 98.3 Obviously, no decision can be taken on these suggestions, and no cost estimates made, until they have been carefully reviewed by the Programme Director and the appropriate national authori- ties. Be that as it may, it is already possible to define personnel resources required. 8.4 Personnel: The personnel required for the investigations are as follows: a) CSA Project Coordinator A CSA Project Coordinator will be required for at least the first few months of the investigations to take charge of all administrative arrangements. As the Coordinator's duties will include the recruitment and deployment of consultants and the award of service contracts, the incumbent of this post will need to be a regular professional staff member of one of the Sponsoring Agencies (preferably of the World Bank) who can carry out his or her functions on a part-time basis, and without incurring any separate personnel costs. b) Senior Consultant Ecotoxicologist @6 level) A Senior Consultant Ecotoxicologist will be required to make two 2-week visis to the pilot study areas; one at the beginning of the investigations to assist OCP and national hydro- biologiss to launch them, and the second some months later to assist in the analysis and interpretation of the data collected. c) Senior Consultant for Cartography @6 level) A Senior Consultant will be required to :urange for the production of medium- and basin- scale maps, in collaboration with the contracted services for map-making and map printing, and o prepare the special large-scale maps of the two monitoring sites. This consuttancy *ill involve a 2-week visit to the OCP area to ensure coordination of other local cartographic exercises (and their input to the data-bases) and a 2-week map-making exercise in his or her home base. d) National Scientists/Hydrobiologists @4 level) Two national Scientiss/Hydrobiologists will be required to conduct the assessment studies in the two pilot areas. It would be ideal if the OCP Hydrobiologist could be made available(total of approximately 2 man-months) to take charge of the investigations in the Leraba Basin, and if the senior scientist of the Cote d'Ivoire national hydrobiology unit would be prepared to take charge of the Bandama Basin (total of approximately 4 man-months because of the larger area to be covered). Both scientiss could operate from their current laboratories under CSA-awarded service contracts, and in close collaboration with each other and with the Consultant Ecotoxicologist. e) National Hydrobiology Technicians (General Service level) To provide technical support to the national Scientists/Hydrobiologists the following national Hydrobiology Technicians will be required: - Two technicians, each for a total of 4 man-montls, for the Leraba Basin, - Two technicians, each for a total of 6 man-months, for the Bandama Basin. Evidently, these technicians should be drawn from the same contracting laboratories as those that provide the Scientiss/Hydrobiologists. 10 8.5 OtherResources/servicesrequired In addition to the costs that will be incurred for consultants and other personnel services, financial provision will have to be made for the following main resource service requirements: - Medium- and small-scale map production and printing. - Aerial photography and subsequent production of large-scale maps of the monitoring stations. - Basic laboratory and computer facilities (including the provision of additional computer soft- ware for the data-base). - LoCal 6ansportation. - Travel coss and per diem for consultans. 8.6 In summary It is obvious that a number of detailed costing exercises will need to be conducted before it is possible to make a reasonably accurate estimate of the overall cost of the rwo proposed environmental impact assessments. However, on the basis of preliminary predictions, the cost of the whole exercise is expected to be in the order of US dollars 100,000. 9. Conchsions 9.1 If successfully conducted, the pilot environmental impact :uisessments will constitute valuable models for further investigatiorur on an expanded scale and/or in different arqts. They will furnish methodologies which have proved their value under local West African field conditions, and which can therefore be readily replicated. They will also point the way for additional assessments that it would be prudent to conduct in areas which are earmarked for settlement and/or further development, and provide development planners with additional tools for optimizing strategies for development while minimizing potential environmental impacs. 9.2 A further important benefit of implementing the proposed impact assessments is that they provide the national hydrobiological teams that have been established by the OCP, with ideal oppornrnities for additional training, and thereby contribute to the capacity building of the Participat- ing Counuies in the domains of environmental surveillance, protection and management. 11 REFERENCES Calamari, D.A., M.O. Akech and P.B.O. Ochumba, 1992, 'Conservation of the Aquatic Environ- ment, "'Winam Gulf Basin Area", Preliminary Hazud Assessment'. FAO, Mimeo, 32 p. Iwugo, K.O., 1990, 'Basic concepts of environmental quality control in relation to baseline snrdies on land-based sources of pollution'. Lecture presented at the IOC-SAREC-UNEP-FAO-IAEA-WHO Workshop on regional a,spects of marine pollution. Mauritius, 20 October - 9 November 1990. Mimeo, 36 p. Vighi, M. and G. Chiaudani, 1987, 'Eutrophication in Europe: the role of agricultural activities.' in Environment and Chemicals in Aericulture. F.P.W. Winteringham, ed., Elsevier: pp 71-86. World Health Organization, 1989, Manaeement and Control of the Environment. Geneva: WHO/PEP/89-1: 153 p. a:ecoproj (e9) October 2, L992 t2 ANNEX 1 Extract from the report of the Expert Advisory Committee Ouagadougou. 8-12 June 1992 (JPC document: OCP/EAclgz.l H. ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES ARISING FROM JPC12 (a) Introduction 49. The Group reviewed the work progr:rmme for the Committee of Sponsoring Agencies (CSA) in support of socioeconomic development which was endorsed by the Joint Programme Committee (JPC) during is twelfth session (December 1991), giving special attention to that part of the programme concerned with the monitoring of pesticide use in the OCP area. The Group was also provided with a summary of the CSA's discussions on its intended activities in relation to the environmental impact of agro-chemicals used in the Programme area, which took place immediately after the closure of the l2th session of the JPC. During the course of the CSA's discussion the CSA expressed the wish that the Ecological Group would review its tentative work plan and convey is priliminary conclusions back to the CSA for consideration during is 52nd session, scheduled for 25-26 February 1992. 50. Recalling that during its l2th session the Group had given careful consideration to iS future role, especially with regard to the final stages of the Programme and immediately thereafter, the Group considered it important to allocate a substantial proportion of its current session to a detailed discuision of the CSA's proposed work programme. Accordingly, the key elements of the Group's discussions and conclusions are presented in some detail in the following paragraphs. 51. In the first instance the Group stressed that for a long time it had been recognized that there existed a close dependence between the utilization of river watersheds and the performance of aquatic environments. Furthermore, for a number of years the Group had alerted the Programme to the impacts on the quality and the functioning of the aquatic environments which could result from modifications to the terrestrial environment caused by more intensive and extensive utilizations of agricultural land. 52. In other terms, the results obtained from the aquatic monitoring programme, which was established to evaluate the possible side-eft-ects of the insecticides used by OCP, had in some cases been modified by other tactors. Some of the most readily discernible of these other factors which resulted in increased soil erosion and river sedimentation were, the strategies and patterns of land settlement (often marked by increased fishing pressure and the increased use of chemical fish poisons and/or explosives), pollution due to agricultural pesticides, and, contamination with bio-products from the food and agricultural industries. 53. The Group theretbre considered it necessary to adopt an integrated approach to these phenomena at the watershed level in order to be able to correctly interpret observations made on a imaller scale and in more localized contexts. This required that, concurrently, information had to be collected from the different sectors of the environment which were liable to interfere with aquatic monitoring activities, and, that collections be well coordinated in order to facilitate their interpretation. 13 Annex I 54. Adopting a stratitied approach, three major levels of impact can be distinguished these are: Briefly, (i) Impacts of climatic variations; both at the localised level over which we have no control and at the global level which can, in part, be attributed to diverse human activitiqs. The results of aquatic monitoring activities have clearly demonstrated that the fish populations of the various rivers react to inter-annual fluctuations in the climatic environment, especially to fluctuations in river discharge. In addition, the persistent effecs of the current drought, since 1973, have had important repercussions on the level of the subterranean water-table and on the hydrological performance of the rivers. (ii) Impacts due to watercourse management: which have largely accrued since the start of the OCP. In the forefront are impacts resulting from the construction of several large dams (rivers Bandama, Sassandra and Mono, to mention but a few) and the creation of a great many small dams in the headwaters of several rivers (the R. Bandama being a prime example) which have resulted in important changes in both the quantity and quality of river water. In many cases these impacts have been aggravated by climatic tactors (the current drought), by thedrawing downof the water-table through irrigation and/or by increased urban emands for water. (iii) Imoacts due to land utilization. The considerable success of the OCP has meant that river valleys have been liberated tiom onchocerciasis and are now available for settlement and development. However, at the same time demographic pressure and changes related to cultural practices have led to greatly increased utilization of available agricultural land. The obvious consequences are an acute detbrestation problem, increased risks of erosion and impoverishment of soils. One way or another, all these factors adversely affect the aquatic environment. Water-flow patterns and characteristics are modified and there are increases in the transport of suspended material. Likewise, the increased use of agro-chemicals (both pesticides and fertilizers) has resulted in the increase in chemical substances in river-water. The creation of new towns and villages has similarly resulted in increased river-water loads of nutrients (nitrogenous and phosphorus compounds) and pollutants of both organic and inorganic origin. (iv) Destruction of eallery fbrests. The Group deemed it necessary to once more stress that riverain gallery forests are key elements in assuring the wellbeing and productivity of rivers. The role of these forests in protecting both the rivers and their associated flood-plains is five-fold: - they are important sources of nutrients of organic origin upon which many fish and aquatic invertebrates are directly or indirectly dependent, e.g. terrestrial invertebrates (especially insects), leaves, t'lowers and fiuits; - their root networks constitute physical stabilizers of river banks, preventing bank erosion and thus protecting adjacent tlood-plains which are invariably of high agricultural potential; - their roots and foliage are efficient tilters of water which enters rivers from surface run-off and from ground water, retaining nitrates and some pesticides; - the canopies of galleries along small rivers restrict the direct impact of solar radiation on those rivers and helps to maintain the oxygen balance of the water; - gallery tbrests are important habitats and refuges of a great many terrestrial organisms, both invertebrates and vertebrates. t4 Annex I 55. Thus the destruction and degradation of gallery forests could have considerable undesirable consequences for the aquatic environment. The Group therefore recommended that the OCP Participating Countries be urged to take appropriate regulatory me:tsures to protect gallery forests, as has already been done by some Atiican countries, e.g. Zanltria. b) Ecoloeical Group's proposal to the Committee of Sponsoring Asencies (CSA) 56. In endeavouring to formulate a realistic proposal for presentation to the CSA the Group kept in mind that physical changes in the terrestrial environment would most likely have the greatest impact on land-water interactions influencing the aquatic environments that have been routinely monitored by the hydrobiologists of the Programme and of some of the Participating Countries. And, that investigations on agro-chemicals would provide information that was difficult to interpret unless it was analysed in relation to changing patterns of land occupation and land utilization. Furthermore, that the types of environmental impact studies proposed for the OCP area were beyond the resources of the Programme. They would therefore need to be conducted by consultants or under contract to specialized institutions, in collaboration with Programme staff. 57. It was therefore necessary to envisage two interlocked investigations, which would run concurrently; one concerned with physical changes in the terrestrial environment and one with impact assessments of agro-chemicals. (i) Implrct srudies of human settlement. In essence, these investigations should follow a series of steps from large-scale mapping to correlations with specific effects. They would have to be implemented at several sites in order to establish the most appropriate patterns of evaluation to be used for all the hydrobiological monitoring sites. A step-by-step outline of the proposed protocol is given below. Steo l. Preparation of sub-basin maps, that include hydrobiological monitoring sites, based on French SPOT imagery and LANDSAT imagery, at an appropriate large scale (a resolution of approximately l00m'). To tacilitate the collation of existing data necessary to complete these large-scale maps, data would have to be drawn from specialized agencies such as FAO and USAID, from the OCP and from the national geographic institutions/agencies of the Participating Countries. - Step 2. Photo-documentation of specitic regions immediately surrounding OCP monitoring sites (approx. resolution l-10m2). This photo- documentation should be repeated at least every two years. A model of the level of resolution required can be found in the photographs taken and the corresponding maps prepared for selected OCP treatment sites. - Step 3. Ground-truthing of major cartographic features, such as the distribution of vegetation and of agricultural land, as documented in the fine-scale photographs. - Step 4. Digitization of the vegetation and land-use maps. Digitized maps would have to be made by laboratories specially equipped for cartographic analysis, such as those existing in some of the U.N. Specialized Agencies (e.g. FAO), and in national geographic institutions. - Step 5. Intertacing of digitized map data with other sets of data (including agro-chemical statistics and hazard assessments) by means of Geographical Information System (GIS) software. - Step 6 (final). The final stage will involve the on-going evaluation of the OCP's fish and invertebrate monitoring data in relation to the GlS{ocumented changes (both physical and chemical) in the immediate vicinity of selected monitoring stations' l5 Annex 1 (ii) Imoact studies of agro-chemicals. The protocol formulated by the Group for the assessment of the environmental impact of agro-chemicals, interlocked with the human settlement impact studies described above, is outlined below. - Step 1. Pilot studies to assess the potential impact of pesticides at two or three of the OCP hydrobiological monitoring sites, fbr which very sound monitoring data were available. Suitable sites for such pilot studies are located on the rivers White Bandama (C0te d'[voire), upper Comoe/Leraba (Burkina Faso) and Mono (togo). Step 2. Preliminary hazard assessments should be conducted on the scale of small river basins, by collecting information on pesticide loads in the area and by making an evaluation of ttre ecotoxicological charateristics of the pesticides used. Initially, data would have to be collected on the extent of large-scale farming areas, on the types of crops grown (cotton, sugar-cane, etc), and, on the type and quantity of pesticides used. Subsequently data should be collected from smallholder cash-crop are:ls where pesticides were known to be used (e.g. groundnut growing areas). Some of the information required could be obtained directly from the agro-chemical marketing system and/or indirectly from a review of the recommended uses and application rates of the pesticides introduced into the area. Step 3. Assessment for potential affinity, to evaluate the leaching potential from cultivated soils, to determine the half-life of the introduced pesticides and to estimate the quantities of those pesticides which could reach the aquatic environment. Step 4. On completion of the preliminary hazard assessments, more refined assessments should be made of a smaller number of chemicals which were most likely to be hazardous; through the contamination of drinking water supplies, through bio-accumulation in fish and/or through serious depletion of aquatic invertebrate communities. At the same time and additional to on-going biological monitoring activities, chemical analyses should be conducted. Clearly, the information obtained ttom Steps 2-4 above would be interfaced with data collected from the impact studies on human settlement @y means of appropriate GIS computer software) to enable overall integrated assessments to be made. 58. The Group also wished to advise the CSA that the hazard assessment protocol outlined above, could serve as a model for assessing the potential hazards of increased organic loads in the environment (derived from human sewage, animal waste, industrial effluents from breweries, sugar refineries, etc), as well as nutrient loads (nitrogenous and phosphorous compounds). 59. Finally, the Group recommended that its Chairman and/or another Group member be invited to attend the 52nd session of the CSA to present its proposals and to provide clarification, if required. L6 ANNEf Z: Extract frou the Report of the Fiftv-third Sessiou of the Csulittee of Spousoriac Aqeucies RoEe, 28 apd 29 UaY 1992 G. SED: I.IORK PIA}I REIATING TO E}TSIRONMENTAL II{PACT ASSESSMEMT 2L. Ac the strartr of an open sesslon wich FAO officials, che CSA Chai:aan introdueed chis agenda icen by giving a shorc historT of aquacic monitroring in the OCP area since che incepcion of the Progr:Bme. Special reference was aade tro: (i) che long-scanding natrure of che OCP aquacie monicoring progrrnrne and of che Ecological Group, (ii) che Koeoan and Dejeuc environnencal review of 1990, vhich suggesced chac che OCP nandace for uonicoring be expanded co cover also Eerrescrial aspectrs of che environoentr, (iii) che Joinc Prograo.ue Counic,cee's I99l endorseoenc of a CSA proposal co escablish a work plan co address secondary environuencal effeccs, ( lv) (v) the CSA seeking che advice of che Ecological Group in the foruulacion of a sork plan, che Ecological Group's response Eo che GSA (concained in che reportr of che 13ch session of the Ecological Group, January L992), suggestring a dual approach trosards addressing broad environoencal issues based on inpacc scudies of hr.:san sectrleuenc and of agro-chemicals. 22. Ttre Chairuan's introducEion was coopleoenced by renarks frorn che Progra-ome Directror, who poinced ous chaE prior. tro che launching of che OCP ooniEoring pEog;:m-e in 1974, chere had been /rery liccle enwironmentral cradicion in lJesc Africa. Ttre OCP now had a highty efficienc and long- standing moniEorlng mechanisn. TLre OCP monicoring ruas largely oriencatred trowards che proceccion of fish, buE this was noc trhe only enviror:-oencal issue rhaE now needed co be addressed. Ic nas seII known chac in recenc years there had been significanE souEhsard exEensions of che Sahara and serious deplecions of foresc and rdildlife resources in che face of hr:man populacion expansion, i.ncreased seccleoenc,, increased industrlalization and che increased use of agro-cheaicals. Ic reas therefore nolr necessary Eo cake accoun! of a greatrer number of environoencal facgors if the areas liberated froo onchocerciasis lrere co be seEtrIed and developed on an environmencally sustainable basis. In this conE,exc, Ehe moniEoring sysEeas of che OCP and of sooe of che Parcicipacing Countrries could be effeccively used as entrly poincs for broader environ-oencal ssudies along che Iines suggestred by che Ecological Group. 23. For che benefic of FAO staff, Ehe Chairuan of the Ecological Group, Prof. D. Calamari, ouElined che Ecological Group's suggessions to trhe CSA for a work plan relaCing co environnenCal inpacE assesstrentrs (see Section H of the reporc of che 13th session of she Ecological Group). He sEressed trhaE, alchough a discinccion had been nade becveen iropacc assesstrencs of hr:nan setrclemenc and of agro-chemicals, che greacesc benefiEs tlere co be derived froo conductring che clo assessnentrs cogeEher. He also advised thaE, inicially, accencion be given co a lioiced nu.uber of areas r.rhere piloc scudies could be undercaken. Three river basins (Leraba, Bandr-a and l'[ono) r7 had alreadv been identified for possible scudy. For each of Ehese basins chere was good long-cer= hydrobiological daca. Furchernore, trhey represenced,three different, ecological regions and three differenc sEages of setcleoencinfluence. 2l+. In che ensuing discussion, special consideration was given to napping requirenencs (especially co Ehe shree IeveIs of resoluEion considered necessary) and Eo Ehe E)pes and availabilicy of the various dacabases chac would be needed. 25 - WiEh regard to Eaps, FAO officials confirued thac chey would be pleased co collaboraE,e wich napping exercises and wich the digicization of ,"p" cofacilicace GIS analyses of the required daEabases. lhls applied. parcicularly co sacellice inages and to convencional traps atr scale 1:1O0,OOO. Coopletely new large-scale uaps would have to be nade of the inmediace enviror," tf th"- chree selecced roonicoring sEaEions. fhis exercise could be perfotaed on a consultrancy basis by a former OCP scaff roenber who had che required experience. 0n che subject of dacabases, iE was quice evidenE thae FAO could make a nr.uober of inpucs. However, iE was iurporcanc Eo deceraine moreprecisely che cypes of daca chac could be provided by OCP and FAO and to explore che possibilicies of ucilizing dacabases frou elsewhere; for s1:npIE, frorn ORSTOM which had excensive daEa-bases relaced co geographic, clinacic,hydrological and hydrobiological siEuaEions in [.Iesc Africa. The FAo represenEaEive on che conmitcee agreed co furcher invescigace trhe availabilicy of dacabases (especially relacing to rdacer resources, soils and Iand-use paEEerns), sacellice ioages and maps. 26. Before closing che discussion on daEabases, che Coomitrtee lras inforued trhas anocher nenber of che Ecological Group had prepared a proposal for complemenE,ary research on aquacic refugia and bio-diversicy, which had been subuieced Eo Ehe EEC environtrenc progr:rntre wich a view co securing the necessary funding (see Seccion G of the reporc of the l3ch session of theEcological Group). If funding was obcained and the projecc bec,-e operacional, anoEher inporcanc dacabase, on aquacic migracionr/colonizacion, would becooe available. 27 . Turning Eo procedure, ic was agreed chat four operaEional scages wouldbe required co provide fully integraced iropacc assessmencs of che chree seIecE,ed areas. These would be: (i) retroce sensing and cartography, (ii) building of che dacabases and che input of newly acquired daca, (iii) GIS analyses, (iv) environuencal iupacc assessnentrs. 28. AfEer furcher discussion, che Comniccee agreed thar the nextr step co be taken was Ehe preparaEion of a cosEed plan of acEion for piloc scudies in che Ehree areas thac had been idencified. Ic was also agreed chac for che PreParacory work thaE lras now necessary, clear discinctions had Co be nade beEween chose accivicies and budgecs Ehac were che responsibilicy of the Program.me and chose addicional accivicies for which supplemencary funds,i.e., non'OCP, would be needed. Ic vas chus a traEc,er of sone urgency for the 18 CSA co establish a special environmencal budgeE, which would enable che engagetrenc of consulcancs in che iooediace fuEure. 29. To ensure chac preparaEory work coonenced rgichouc delay che Counictee agreed Eo estrabrish an Environoencal working Group cooposed of: Ehe EAO represencacive co Ehe CSA: Mr C. Grooo, che lJorld Bank EnvirontrenEal Specialisc: Hs C . Cruveillier, Calaaari and Prof. K.Evo meobers of che Ecological Group: Prof. D Cr.ronins, che CSA secretary: Dr D. Baldry 30. AlEhough che Coomiccee still had Eo prepare rhe forual Eerros of reference for che Environmencal Working Group ic r.ras agreed, chac a EenEagive cinecable of accivicies could be escablished. The schedule agreed upon is ouclined in che following paragraphs. 31. Orrer the period June-Augusc 1992 che nembers of che iJorking Group would collecc cogecher as much inforaacion as possible necessary for che PreParacion of a drafc plan of actrion. The oembers sould trhen neetr EogeEherin early Sepcember 1992 co prepare the drafc for review by che CSA during ics 54ch session. During Septretrber-November the drafc plan of actrion would befurcher developed so trhac che CSA could provide a shortr progress reporE co che Joinc Progrr-.e Commiccee (JPC) in Decenber. 32. Nocing chac che 14th session of the Ecological Group would be in Coconou during ghe week commencing 18 January 1993, Ehe Conniccee agreed thac chis would also provide an ideat opporcunitry to convene a furcher meecing of the Environnencal Working Group. The following scheduling of roeecings could be envisaged: (i) 18-20 Januanr 1993: Regular session of rhe Ecological Group co discuss only scriccly OCP business, covered by che OCP budgec and wich che OCP Hydrobiologisc actring as secretary/rapporreur. (ii) 21 and 22 Janaurv 1993: Joint treeEing of Ecological Group members and che CSA EnvironnenEal Working Group to discuss trhe CSA work plan and the drafc plan of accion for inpacc assessnenEs, covered by a supplemencary (non-OCP) budgec and with a consultantr acEing as secrecary/tapporEeur. 33. Finally, the CommiEtee agreed EhaE iE should aim to have a compleced plan of accion available by nid-1993 so chaE iE could be presenced aE che Miniscerial Conference on Suscainable Land SetrcleoenE, scheduled co be held in Paris during che laccer parc of 1993, viEh a view co securing Donor supporE. r9 ANNEX 3 <z oF lrJ -u=3[ s ^J = r.,ru- 3 (, z 9E=6 oo - F: o =, =q J o(D rrJ 6 =gG<>trJGb F6- r-P9trEroi:o ;:' IJ €P< <kGo lrJ f s-Z ,. (,9 l- J-<o: orI<oj F q.l IA o !o Hu(n|r !4 tr HUJ .i = U-F tJl L) Gtlx oO =Ft =G. Fl- Ug; 3; (h lrlgp ZqOE trio(DsF lrJ ll=F Y rela> = I rUo<: o(J; 9'l > lrJlurq --=os(JG c- .J tszlrt =zo 5z lr.l =tn =uJ i= lr o . lr.t U,^ =6(n0.(nx UJ lr,loo J <t(JO <-< -o =-U zJOaa (A ,.,tstteo z flJ tn o co cE O t!o F z uJ (n a lrJ ta(n ) I(9 oJo(J i o o(J trJ 53qZ 3H !<9uJ 0-F OU(EE(o N(,t < trl? (/t -o th 6Gqri L,l :F F L r) * \ I L a.o0o Srndou a +r + ++ + r + * +r. + OROOAAA Annex 4 ZO EANFORA {* rl o lta t ig!o x ,\ xx ***1r' + *+*+* a frng rrt * * x* **+** a MDangu. ,r oto 'Orong-oto<!ougo \ ) ) t a S rnlnr ono li a O xoaxoco rxqliotio o 90u Fofiittadou(loutr B '\ . \z _\. \o- Olodorrgou Kona !ro tirr' e0lonro! oo fF ,a 'aNioro roni*<ougo n ) Location of the pilot study areas. L=Leraba, B=Bandama, (lcm= 12.5 kilomeUes) ?la( /, ! ? /\