Uganda - Road Development Program Project : environmental impact assessment (Vol. 2 of 3)

Jable of Contents ROAD SECTOR INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROJECT (RSISTAP) REVIEW AND UPDATE FOR THE FEASIBILITY STUDY AND DETAILED ENGINEERING DESIGN OF KARUMA - PAKWACH - ARUA ROAD Draft Final Feasibility Study Report E-265 VOL. 2 Environmental and Resettlement Impact Assessment Volume 2A: - Supplementary Social Impact Assessment This volume is an Addendum to the second volume of a set of four volumes. The other volumes are: - Volume 1 Main Text Volume 3 Appendices Volume 4 Preliminary Engineering Drawings Roughton Intematronal In assoc,aron with U-Group Consult  Table of Contents ROAD SECTOR INSTITUTIONAL SUPPORT TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PROJECT (RSISTAP) REVIEW AND UPDATE FOR THE FEASIBILITY STUDY AND DETAILED ENGINEERING DESIGN OF KARUMA - PAKWACH - ARUA ROAD Draft Final Report Environmental and Resettlement Impact Assessment Volume 2A: - Supplementary Social Impact Assessment Table of Contents Executive Summary 1. Background Infornmation .................................................................. 1-2 1.1 Introduction ................................................................... 1-2 1.2 Objectives and Use of Social Assessments .................................................................. 1-2 1.3 Methodology and Approach .................................................................. 1-2 2. Project Description .................................................................. 2-1 2.1 Project Aim .................................................................. 2-1 2.2 The Existing Road .................................................................. 2-1 2.3 Altemative Alignment in Area of Murchison Falls National Park ..................................... 2-2 2.4 Rehabilitation Works ................................................................ 2-2 2.4.1 Road Widening and Earthworks .................................................................. 2-2 2.4.2 Drainage Improvements ..................... ............................................. 2-3 2.4.3 Pavement Construction .......................... ......................................... 2-3 2.4.4 Road Safety ................................................................... 2-3 2.4.5 Programme for Execution of the Works ................................................................. 2-3 3. CULTURAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE ............................................................ 3-1 3.1 Overview ................................................................... 3-1 3.2 The Project Area .............. ............................................. 3-1 3.3 Population Characteristics ................................................................. 3-1 3.4 Settlement and Housing ................................................................ 3-2 3.5 Energy and Domestic Water Sources ................................................................. 3-2 3.6 Transport and Communication ................................................................ 3-2 3.7 Heath ............ .................................................... 3- 3 3.8 Education and Literacy ................................................................ 3 3 3.9 Land Tenure ................................................................ 3 4 3.10 Land Use ................................................................ 3 4 3.11 Sources of Income and Employment ............................................................ ..... 4 3.12 Social Organization ................................................................. 3.13 Areas of Socio-cultural Importance . ................................................................. 3.14 Agencies with Interests in the Project .................................................................E.i 4. THE CULTURAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS ................................................... 4.1 Overview ............................................................. 4.2 Effects on the Local Community/Families ................................................................. 4.3 Effects on Women ........................................................ 4.4 Effects on Refugees ................................... ................................. 4.5 Effects on Private Companies .................................................................. .4 4.6 Effects on Urban Areas ................................................................... 5. Mitigation Measures ............ .................. ... ...................................5. 5.1 Overview. 5.2 Land Take 5.2.1 Permanent Land Take .......................................................... 5.2.2 Temporary land take ......................................................................................... Roughton International In associaton with U-Group Consult  Table of Contents 5.2.3 Compensation procedure and considerations..... .................................................... 5-1 5.3 Construction Traffic and Road Detours .................................................................. 5-1 5.4 Traffic (Road) Safety and Nuisance ...... ................................................ ................... -.. 5-2 5.5 Loss of Business Opportunities by Women ................................ 5-2 5.6 Scarcfty of Fuelwood .................................................................. 5-2 5.7 Proliferation of Diseases .................................................................. 5-3 5.8 Possible Food Shortages .................................................................. 5-3 Appendices 1 People Consulted During The Study 2 Rates of Compensation List of Tables Table 2-1 Quantities of Construction Matenals .................................................... 2-4 Table 3-1 Population Numbers and Density ........................... ......................... 3-1 Table 3-2 Other Important Demographic factors in the Project Area .............. ............... 3-1 Roughton Intemational In associatyon with U-Group Consult  Executive Summaly Executive Summary E. Introduction This Social Impact Assessment (SA) Report (Volume 2 A) was prepared as a Supplementary Report to the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (Volume 2) in order to allow more detailed consideration of social issues and stakeholder participation in the design of the project. E.2 Socio-economic and Cultural Environment i) Sources of Income and Employment The main source of household livelihood in the project area is predominantly subsistance farming. An average of 80% of the total households grow various crops on small-holdings using rudimentary methods and relying on family labour especially women and children. No soil enhancement practices such as application of fertilizers are used to improve productivity per unHt area. Income from activities such as petty trading and formal employment typically just augment the assured income from subsistence farmning. The project area is potentially a highly productive agricultural region, which will benefit from the upgraded road. It will become worthwhile for farmers to invest in traditional agricufture cash-crops that they were previously unable to sell. For example, it will become easier to transport cotton and other agricultural products to Kampala and Jinja . In addRtion it will become easierto transport manufactured goods from those towns to the project area. Transport and vehicle maintenance costs will reduce because of improved road surface and reduction in the time taken to complete a joumey. Because of reductions in vehicle operating costs created by improved roads, the price of goods into the region from elsewhere in the country should reduce as should the cost of passenger transport. The likely resulting improvement to feeder roads will spread this effect into areas some distance from the project road. Improvement to the road will greatly improve access and trade to hitherto remote and less developed parts of the West Nile region and in particular farmers will have improved access to markets. Basic commodities such as paraffin, washing soap and salt will become more readily available and small businesses are more likely to prosper. ii) Health Each of the districts in the project area has at least one govemment run hospital, which is usually supported, by mission hospitals, such as Kuluva Hospital in Arua. Mulago Hospital is the best equipped referral hospital but is about 500 km from Arua and 325 km form Gulu. Very few people in the prolec area are able to utilise Mulago Hospital at present due to existing high trans,port costs and pocr bus services. The most common diseases in the study area malaria (40%), respiratory infections (34%), diarrhoea diseases (8%) and intestinal worms (7%). The Aids pandemic is also rampant. The current level of Aids awareness is estimated at over 60% of the total population. iii) Education and Literacy Literacy levels in the three districts of the project area are still low. The lowest literacy levels Orelng associated with females and rural areas. In Nebbi for example, only 32% of all the population aged I O years and above can read and write. However, with the current Universal Primary Education (,-PE Program supported by the govemment, the rate of Iteracy is expected to increase. With imp(ove accessibility (when the project road is upgraded) and increased Iteracy due to the UPE Program -e number of unemployed youth is expected to decrease. iv) Effects on Women and Households As a special group, women will be affected in a number of ways, by the proposed road upgrading positive impacts will be of medium to long-term duration, since they are all significant. They -, . - improved mobility to health care facilities and markets; increased income from their produce-,: m ..-l Roughton Intematonal In associat7on with U-Group Consult  Executve Summary job opportunities; increased dealings with other areas of the country and their women's groups. Some negative impacts may be felt by women, such as a reduction in the availablilty of firewood. v) Effects on Refugees The project area especially Gulu and Arua districts have a number of intemally displaced people and refugees from Sudan and the Congo within their boundaries. The upgrading of this road will improve accessibility to the refugee camps and protected areas for relief agencies. The road has long been a problem to relief organizations dealing with refugees in northem Uganda. Most of the relief supplies to the internally displaced and refugees from neighbouring countries, comes from Kampala. iv) Sites of Cultural Importance Investigations show that this project will not directly affect any known sites of archaeological or cultural importance. But as a general principle, the construction phase activities should try to avoid religious sites such as graveyards and family shrines. E.2 Socio-economic Impacts and Mitigation BHtumen sealing and upgrading the existing Kanrma to Pakwach to Arua road will be associated with some minor adverse social impacts. However, these undesirable social impacts will be minimised by implementing appropriate mitigation measures as summarised below i) Land Take The upgrading of the project road, which will be almost entirely restricted to its existing alignment, will involve very iittle additional land take. The area traversed by the road is sparsely populated and in the unlikely event that it is necessary to offer resettlement, there is plenty of available unoccupied land. In such cases, adequate compensation will be appropriate. Provision has been made for payment of compensation. In most cases, the affected families and/or households prefer not to be resettled but to be given the freedom to relocate where they choose. ii) Road Safety Improvement of the road will encourage more traffic and higher vehicular speeds. A major part of the traffic will be long-distance haulage trucks to and from southem Sudan and eastem Congo. Increased traffic speed due to a better standard of road will have an effect on road safety for pedestrians, cyclists, livestock and their owners, who will face some increased risks of injury from faster moving vehicles. The existing road has a poor safety record therefore particular attention has been given to designing measures that will increase road safety along the rehabiiitated road. The main safety improvements include: * Road widening and improved junction lay-outs * Provision of bitumen sealed shoulders (whole road), bus bays and parking spaces in settlements * Improved road signs and road marking * All new bridges will be constructed with 1.5 metre wide raised footpaths on both sides of the carriage-way iii) Pro,i eration of Disease Spread of diseases such as AIDS and other infectious diseases along the project road could be i significant social impact. Strengthening the medical facilities and improving on people's awareress based on current active programs will help in reducing the rate of infection. The level of awareness n Uganda with regard to improved health is now relatively high, therefore disease control is impro\nng iv) Scarcity of Fuetwood Woodfuel is the main source of energy in Uganda and more especially in rural areas. Fueow' .-I consumption is likely to increase when the project road is upgraded. The main reason being that "- , new trading centres are likely to develop along these roads which may attract people from within . outside the project area. Since electric power from UEB grid will not be immediately avallace -- increased population in the centres and outside the area served by this road will use woodfuel f- of their energy requirements. Roughton /ntemational r In association with U-Group Consult  ExecuOve Summary The end result will be that the now well-vegetated areas along the proposed road will be targeted for charcoal production. Existing plots of wood on private land and some trees may be depleted. Strengthening afforestation programs and supporting use of fuel saving cook stoves especially around all settlements in the project area should be able to alleviate the scarcity of fuelwood. E.2 Conclusions Consultations with local representatives, women's groups and youth groups has shown that the upgrading and bitumen surfacing the Karuma to Pachwach to Arua Road is very strongly supported. Indeed, it is thought to be long over due because the West Nile region has no good road connection to Kampala (unlike other regions). Undesirable impacts are considered to be of little significance by comparison to the major benefits expected to arise from the road upgrading. The most significant concem of the people in Aura voiced at all meetings was that the road contract should not be let out as one single contract. They were of the view that the Karuma - Pakwach section be given to a different contractor from the Pakwach - Arua section in order to minimize delays, especially those associated with insecurity. Roughton Intemational pj * In association with U-Group Consult  Section 1 Background Inform;tyoU 1. BACKGROUND INFORMATION 1.1 Introduction As part of the feasibility study for the upgrading of the Karuma to Pakwack to Arua Road, an environment impact assessment (EIA) has been undertaken. The purpose of the EIA is to identify the likely beneficial and detrimental environmental consequences that may arise as a result of the upgrading of the existing gravel road to bitumen paved standard. The EIA has been carried out with the primary aim of recommending appropnate actions to mitigate any adverse effects on the physical, biological and human environment. This Social Impact Assessment (SA) Report (Volume 2 A) was prepared as a Supplementary Report to the Environmental Impact Assessment Report (Volume 2) in order to allow more detailed consideration of social issues and stakeholder participation in the design of the project. 1.2 Objectives and Use of Social Assessments SA is a process for ensuring that developments take into account key relevant social issues; and incorporate a participation strategy for involving a wide range of stakeholders. The process aims to ensure that project objectives and incentives for development are acceptable to the range of people who are intended to benefdt from the intervention. It also ensures that project viability and rsks are assessed early. People are emphasised because they are the reason for and the means of development. Their cultures, societies, and organisations provide the foundation on which development programs rest. SA is a method developed by the World Bank and it is used by the Bank for projects involving: * Indirect social benefits and direct social costs D Significant uncertainty or risk * Large number of direct beneficiaries; and D Target assistance. Karuma to Pachwach to Anua Road, like other infrastructure projects falls in the first category i.e. will bring a number of indirect social benefits to all the people in the project area with respect to increased accessibility. Social Assessments are usually carried out in a project context and the main objectives of carrying them out are to: D Identify key stakeholders and establish an appropriate framework fortheir participaltion in the project; * Ensure that project objectives and incentives for change are acceptable to the range of people intended to benefit, and that gender and other social differences are refleced e project design; * Assess the social impact of development projects, and where adverse impacts are identified, to determine how they can be overcome or at least substantially miftigated . * Develop capacity at the appropriate level to enable participation, resolve conflict. pe. 4 service delivery, and carry out mitigation measures as required. 1.3 Methodology and Approach The methodology and approach adopted in the steps of preparing this SA are consistent with tre ., " Bank procedures and existing Operational Directives. Generally, the following approach was use' a) Data collection through review of existing secondary data, local consul'* participatory analysis, and on - the - sport assessment of the current state of d ' the project area. All this data was later analysed for ease of use in the asse'% - exercise. b) Identification of stakeholders in this project. The range of stakeholders in Bank . includes those affected by the outcome, negatively or positively, or those who c the outcome of a proposed intervention. In this case they include MoWHC Roughton Intemational In associadon with U-Group Consuit  Section 1: Background Intormation UWA, BAT (U) Ltd, Urban Authorities such as Pakwach, Nebbi and Arua, Local Communities/families, Educational Institutions, the Youth, Women, Refugees and of course the World Bank. c) Systematic analysis of the social factors consisting of cultural and demographic factors, employment and income, land use and ownership of land, health, education and other services, and the perception of the road project in the local communities. d) Assessment of social impacts and risks likely to be caused by this road project with respect to stakeholders. e) Development of mitigation plan for the adverse socio-cuftural impacts. f) Determination of plans on how key stakeholder groups will be involved throughout the project. Roughton Intemational P,# In associaton with U-Group Consult  Secton 3: PrOject Descrpton 2. PROJECT DESCRIPTION 2.1 Project Aim The aim of the project is to construct a high standard bitumen surfaced road to replace the existing gravel road connecting Karuma to Pakwach, Nebbi and Arua. 2.2 The Existing Road The existing route alignment is essentially well engineered and generally fits well into the undulating topography. As a result, there is no engineering requirement for the design of any major road realignments. i) Karuma to Olwiyo The road from Karuma to Olwiyo is 53.1 kms in length. It follows a nearly direct route across hilly terrain and has been constructed with minimum earthworks. For the first 42 kms the road lies just within the north-eastem boundary of the Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP). The landscape is mainly dense vegetation consisting of both grass and trees with some localised swamps. Upgrading of this alignment will involve relatively minor deepening of road cuts and raising of embankments across watercourses and low lying swamDy land. The existing road is generally poorly surfaced with 'murram' (laterite gravel) derived from borrow pits adjacent to the road (many of which are in MFNP). Some sections of the road are currently essentially un-surfaced (earth road) due to lack of adequate road maintenance (grading and regravelling). As a result, parts of the route are extremely rough with deep rutting. Very poor side drainage has resulted in locaiised erosion of the road canriageway. During wet weather long sections of the road become dangerously slippery and some short sections become impassable. The existing road is generally 7.0 metres wide but reduces to 6.5 metres in some sections. There is one major bridge structure at chainage 33.2 km where the road crosses the Ayago River, which drains southwards into the River Nile. At the majority of low points elsewhere along the road there are small diameter cross drainage culverts. Outside MFNP the landscape becomes more open with progressively fewer trees. The road crosses over the disused railway, which runs between Pakwach and Gulu, just before entering Olwiyo: At Olwiyo there is a junction with the road to Gulu. ii) Oiwiyo to Pakwach This section of road is 54 kmn in length. The road follows a less direct alignment between Olwiyo and Pakwach since it follows a route influenced by a need to avoid steep gradients associated with incised drainage courses. As far as possible the road follows a watershed alignment and as a result there are no bridges along this section. The road does however cross the railway three times in this section Approaching the Albert Nile at Pakwach the road and railway line share the same alignment as they cross about 1.5 kilometres of swamp on high embankment. The road surface is typically rough except on the approach to Pakwach Bridge where a good gravel surface currently exists. In this section The existing road is typically 8.0 metres in width but varies between 6.5 metres at its narrowest to a maximum of 9.0 metres. iii) Pakwach to Nebbi The section from Pakwach to Nebbi is 53.7 km in length. The first 30 krn of the alignment Ircm Pakwach to Nyaravur is hilly and undulating but follows a steadily rising ridge consequently there are no major bridge structures along this section. Between Nyaravur and Nebbi the road traverses the terran crossing several rivers and tributaries with significant catchments. Majority of the river bndges ale single lane and will need to be replaced in order to meet the design requirements of the proposed road Visibility is also poor on the approaches to several bridges and extensive realignments will be requ.l!1 at these locations to improve the geometry. In this section the existing road is typically between ; 3 and 10.0 metres in width, narrowing down on the approach to bridges. The existing road swr1.4, ^ continues to be rough and deeply rutted in places, but has received more maintenance that the 1 section east of Pakwach, which has suffered from more acute security problems. Roughton Intemational Pi;' In assocraron with U-Group Consult  Section 3: Project Descnpwon iv) Nebbi to Arua At Nebbi the road forks right at the junction with the road to Goli and then continues northwards to Okollo and Arua. This section from Nebbi to Arua is 76.0 km in length and passes through rolling to hilly terrain. The road serves a relatively high local population and has been generally maintained in good shape. However there are several bridges that have failed in recent times and made the road impassable to traffic. The road crosses the Ora River, which is the largest river between Pakwach and Arua, immediately south of Okollo. Thereafter the road descends along a ridge before rising following another ridge to Uleppi. Subsequently the terrain becomes more hilly, crossing several rivers. The approach to Arua is paved for 1.5 kilometres before a roundabout at the entry to the town. The main road and some of the side streets through Arua are partially paved. The roundabout has three arms, the left forms the main road through Arua and the nght goes to the White Rhino Hotel and airstrip beyond. The approach road and the paved roads in the town are in need of rehabilitation. WVth the exception of the Okollo bridge over the Ora River, which is a single span through steel truss of about 40 metre span and 7.0 metres wide, the existing structures over the other rivers are single lane. There are thirteen such structures, all of which- need to be replaced on the grounds of width and in some cases inadequate geometry on the approaches. Most are single spans of 10 metres or less. In this section the existing road is typically 9.5 metres in width but varies between 9.0 metres at its narrowest to a maximum of 11.0 metres. 2.3 Altemative Alignment in Area of Murchison Falls National Park The section between Karuma and Olwiya passes through the northern edge of the Murchison Falls National Park (MFNP). The northem boundary of MFNP in general runs along the line of the Adibu River. Assessment of the impact of constructing a high standard bitumen road through a section of Natiohal Park is considered to be a key environmental issue associated with the upgrading project. The engineering and environmental studies have therefore reviewed the possibiiity of realigning the section of road in the Park outside the northem boundary. Full consideration is given to the possible options for road upgrading in the area of the park in Section 7. A number of alignment options, including following the existing alignment, have been considered for the Karuma to Olwiyo section, which passes through MFNP. Elsewhere it is proposed that wherever possible the proposed road will following the existing alignment in order to minimise disruptions to the environment 2.4 Rehabilitation Works 2.4.1 Road Widening and Earthworks Following consultations, the Ministry of Works, Housing and Communications (MOWvHC) confirmed thal a bitumen class 11 road should be selected to provide a carriage-way width of 6.0 metre wfth paved shoulder widths of 1.5 metres. This is the current normally acceptable minimum width for a paved road There would appear to be no advantage in considering a road using reduced design standards in order to make cost savings, as the reduction in levels of safety for road users would be unacceptable Thus the preliminary design is for a bitumen-surfaced road to full geometric and cross sectional standards The majority of the project lies within an existing road reserve, which will be sufficiently wxe ' construct the road without requiring additional land. The section through MFNP is howevef - narrowest section of the existing road and will require some additional land in order to construcd re road. The majority of the project road is in rolling terrain and the geometry of the existing alignment 41,r% within the requirements for a new bitumen surfaced road with a design speed of 80 k/h, which s - requirement of the MOWHC. The new road will therefore follow the alignment of the existing r- +0 . closely as possible which will minimize the amount of cut and borrow material required to constr. - road. Roughton /ntemational r . In associabon with U-Group Consult  Sectbon 3: Project Descnptbon 2.4.2 Drainage Improvements The rehabilitated road will incorporate greatly improved and deepened side drainage. The standard side drain will be 700 mm deep and 500 mm wide at the bottom with side slopes of 1 in 1.5. Side drains on slopes of greater than 5% in cut will be lined (stone pitching) to prevent soil erosion. Covered road drains will be constructed through the main settlements. Where there are deep cuttings cut off drains along the length of the cutting will be provided. As a result of widening the road it will be necessary to extend the majority of existing culvert pipes. Where hydrological calculations and past records show that a culvert is unable to take the peak flow, or inspection show the culvert to be structurally unsound, then the culvert will be replaced. 2.4.3 Pavement Construction Two designs of pavement have, been considered for the new road, both of which utilise the existing pavement as sub grade wherever possible. The first pavement design which is likety to be used for constructing most of the road in the first three sections i.e. from Karuma up as far as Nebbi, will be a 100 mm natural gravel capping layer overlaid by 100mm of sub base and 200 mm of base. The plasticity of both the sub base and base will have been improved by the addition of lime. The section from Nebbi up to Arua and possibly a section to the east of Nebbi will be constructed using 200 mm of lime improved sub base overlaid by 200 mm of crushed rock base. Table 2-1 on the following page shows the quantities of materials required for constructing the road pavement. 2.4.4 Road Safety The existing road has a poor safety record therefore particular attention has been given to designing measures that will increase road safety along the rehabilitated road. The main safety improvements include: - Road widening and improved junction lay-outs * Provision of bitumen sealed shoulders (whole road), bus bays and parking - spaces in settlements * Improved road signs and road marking a All new bridges will be constructed with 1.5 metre wide raised footpaths on both sides of the carriage-way 2.4.5 Programme for Execution of the Works The programmed start date for construction of the Works is the year 2000. The project road will be either constructed as two separate contracts i.e. from Karuma to Pakwach and from Pakwach to Arua or the road will be split into four contract i.e. from Karuma to Otwiyo, Olwiyo to Pakwach, Pakwach to Nebbi and from Nebbi to Arua. The duration of the contracts will be between two and three years each and it is likely that the contracts will run concurrently. Roughton Intemational Page In associabon with U-Group Consult  Karuma-Pakwach-Ama Road Environmental Impact Assessment Report Section 3: Project Description Table 2-1 Quantities of Construction Materials Section of Road Length Cut to Fill Cut to Spoil Borrow to Fill Subbase and Lime for Gravel Base Lime for Base Crushed Stone (kms) (inc. Side Gravel Capping Subbase Base Drains) (SSG1) Karurna to Olwiyo 53.1 50,880 314,350 57,23Q 101,950 2,550 97,700 4,890 0 (Existing Route) Karuma to Olwiyo 66.1 58,910 324,090 71,000 126,990 3,180 121,700 6,090 0 (Alternative A) Karuma to Olwiyo 63.3 56,620 354,310 58,120 121,480 3,040 116,420 5,820 0 (Alternative B) Olwiyo to Pakwach 54.1 45,280 181,780 45,030 103,870 2,600 99,540 4,980 0 Pakwach to Nebbi 53.7 44,560 120,290 86,170 103,100 2,580 98,810 4,940 0 Nebbi to Arua 76.0 64,800 164,160 63,300 145,920 3,650 0 0 139,840 All quantities are cubic metres unless otherwise noted Page No: 2-4  Section 3: Cultural and SOCiO-Economlc Proefil 3. CULTURAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE 3.1 Overview This Section descrbes in detail the social and cultural dimensions, which (in combination with technical, economic and environmental dimensions) serve as a basis for design and preparation of KPA road project. The profile include data about the type of communities, demographic characteristics, economy and livelihood, land tenure and natural resource control, social organization, factors affecting access to power and resources, values and perceptions. The socio-cultural profile helps to ensure that proposed projects and policies are culturally and socially appropriate, and potentially sustainable. 3.2 The Project Area The project road goes through the districts of Gulu, Nebbi and Arua and forms part of the north-west trunk road system, which connects to the eastern and southern parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Sudan. respectively (insert map on page 1 - 2 in the EIA report). The three districts have a combined total area of 22,460 km2 and a total population of approximately 1.5 million people. 3.3 Population Characteristics Nebbi and Arua districts are ethnically rich with every major tribe in Uganda represented particularly in the urban areas. T he Acnoii tnbe mainly inhabits Gulu district with very few 'outsiders'. Population numbers in tnese areas have Increased over time and pressure on natural resources is beginning to be felt. For example, there is beginning to be a scarcity of firewood in areas around Nebbi and Arua urban centres. Population numbers and densities are summarized in Table 3.1 below: Table 3-1 Population Numbers and Density District Population in 000s Area (kM2) Population Density (kmi2 1969 1980 1991 Land 1969 1980 1991 Gulu 224 270 338 11,560 19 23 29 Nebbi 204 233 317 2,781 73 84 114 Arua 370 472 638 7,595 49 62 84 Uganda 9,535 12,636 16,672 197,096 48 64 85 Source: The 1991 Population and Housing Census - National Summary In all the districts, there are more women than men and the average sex ration (males per 100 females) in 1991 was 94 having been 93 and 96 in 1980 and 1969 respectively. Table 3-2 Other Important Demographic factors in the Project Area Factor/Districts Gulu Nebbi Arua Uganda Dependency ratio % ] 68 68 68 52 Under 5 years Mortality Rate per 1000 290 234 230 1203 Total Fertility Rate per female 6.9 6.9 6.7 7.1 Orphan-hood as % of Total Population 14 8 8 9 AverageAnnual Growth (1980, 1991) 2.1,1.8 1.3, 2.8 2.4, 2.7 2.3, 2 5 Urban Population as % of Total pop. 11 8 4 11 Household size 4.9 5.3 6.0 5.0 % Access to Safe Water 24 20 22 49 % Households Headed by Females 33 28 22 | Source: The 1991 Population & Housing Census - District Summaries As may be seen from the above table, the project area has a considerable number of widows, orphans. fts mortality rate for the under 5 years is much higher than the national one which is also Roughton International P;-' In associabon with U-Group Consult  Section 3: Cuttural and Socio-Economic Pr;olle higher than the national one which is also very high compared to other countries. Accessibility to safe water for drinking by household is quite low while the population growth rate in Nebbi and Arua is much higher than the national average. The dependent population refers to that part of the population, which is below 14 years and above 65 years of age and is therefore, not working. The above table shows that 68% of the total population in the project area lies in the non-productive age. The other part of the population has to work much more to sustain everybody. 3.4 Settlement and Housing The population in the study area is mainly rural with clustered settlements in a linear arrangement especially on hillsides. Most of these settlements lack clean water and have very poor sanitary provisions. Up to 92% of the entire population in the study area live in grass thatched huts made from mud and wattle, although use of bricks is becoming popular especially in urban centres. Development of seKtlements (including major towns such as Nebbi, Pakwach and Arua) is generally not planned. This has had a negative effect on the provision of social services and improved environment management e.g. sanitation. Kinship ties are the main factor determining settlement pattems and choice of area for settling in the study area. Afthough some settlements have access to safe water sources such as boreholes, the majority, rely on the collection of water for domestic use from the nearby shallow wells or river sources. Rivers are, therefore, a main source of water forthe population. 3.5 Energy and Domestic Water Sources Majority of households in the project area depend on woodfuel for cooking. Nebbi and Arua towns are connected to the Uganda Electricity Board grid, but due to high costs of running the diesel generators, power is only switched on once a day between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. in the evening. This explains why charcoal buming and firewood sales are important activities along the project road. A head load of fuelwood ranges in cost between Ushs 500 and 800, while a sack of charcoal costs between UShs 2,500 and 3,500 depending on where it is bought. Acacia and Combretum tree species are the preferred fuel wood sources because they produce good quality charcoal. As indicated in Table 3.2, an overall average of 32% of the households in the Project area has got access to safe water. The rest get their water supply for domestic uses form unprotected sources such as shallow wells, rivers or dams. Urban areas such as Pakwach and Nebbi do not have piped water despite the fact that they have relatively high population densities. For this reason, water borne diseases such as cholera, dysentery, bilharzia, malaria and river blindness are rampant especially in West Nile area. 3.6 Transport and Communication Road transport is by far the most important mode of transport in the study area. The project road is a trunk road and is fed by a number of feeder roads. These feeder roads are usually in poor condition and not always motorable particularly during the rainy seasons. An estimated total of 538 km of feedef roads exist in Nebbi district, while Arua district has about 1,039 km. Major feeder roads serving !ne project road are summarized in Table below. Roughton Intem ational In assocation with U-Group Consult  Section 3- Cultural and Socio-Economic Profile Table 3-3 Major Feeder Roads to Karuma - Pachwach - Arua Road District Road Length (km) Gulu Olwiyo - Anaka 10 Nebbi Pakwach - Panyimur 36 Acwera - Erusi 24 Gole -Paidha 8 Paidha - Zeu 44 Nyaravur - Parambo - Panyimur 38 Arua Olepi - Ofaka 32 Vurra - Anyavu 26 Ochoko - Pawor 65 Olepi - Alijora 20 Okollo - Inde 27 Bundo - Koyo 30 Source: Nebbi and Arua Department of Works. Public buses can access the project area, which costs between UShsl0,000 and 15,000 to travel from Kampala to Arua. The three districts of Gulu, Nebbi and Arua can also be accessed by air. The pedal bicycle is the most common type of transport for medium distances. Short journeys are typically made on foot, particularly by women (who usually only travel as passengers on bicycles). Communication between Kampala and the study area is largely through radio transceivers. A pnvate communications company called 'Starlight Communications' now operates in Arua, which has greatly improved communication with this town. Uganda Posts Limited is operational but letters currently take a long time to be delivered, but with the upgraded road may alleviate this problem. 3.7 Health Health Care Services and facilities are provided and operated by the government, private practitioners. NGOs and missions. Each of the districts in the project area has at least one govemment run hospital. which is usually supported, by mission hospitals, such as Kuluva Hospital in Arua. Mulago Hospftal Ls the best equipped referral hospital but is about 500 km from Arua and 325 km form Gulu. Very few people in the project area are able to utilize Mulago Hospital due to high transport costs and poor bus services. The most common diseases in the study area malaria (40%), respiratory infections (34%), diarrtioea diseases (8%) and intestinal worms (7%). The Aids pandemic is also rampant. The current level of Aids awareness is estimated at over 60% of the total population. 3.8 Education and Literacy Literacy levels in the three districts are still low. The lowest literacy levels being associated w',l females and rural areas. In Nebbi for example, only 32% of all the population aged 10 years and above can read and write. Males who have not had formal education in Gulu and Arua districts constitute 34x and 30% respectively which impiies that in both districts about 70% of the illiterate people are females However, with the current Universal Primary Education (UPE) Program supported by the govemment the rate of iiteracy is expected to increase. With improved accessibility (when KPA road is upgradedi and increased literacy due to the UPE Program, the number of unemployed youth is expected decrease. Table 3.4 beiow shows the Schools along KPA road between Pakwach and Arua. Care stno..I taken when roads works are going on not to disrupt the current arrangement Roughton Intemational In associaton with U-Group Consult  Section 3: Cuttural and Socio-Econonic Prstylq Table 3-4 Educational Institutions along the Karuma - Packwach Arau Roads Road Section Institution Pakwach- Nebbi Primary Post Primary Pakwach, Alwi, Leyi, Alwi Pateng, Pakwach UCC, Alwi Pateng Paila, Oryang, Nyaravur, TTC Pakwach - Nebbi Agwok, Akaba and Namrwodho Nebbi - Arua Afere, Namthin, Omyer, Anyiribu, Nebbi SS, Uleppi SS, Arvu Anika, Army, Bondo, Payuru, Arivu, SS; Ocoko Vocational, Muni Anava, Okpova, Ocoko, Enzeva, Girls SS, Muni TTC Ringiii, Ewava and UpperArua. Source: Field Data 1998 3.9 Land Tenure The Land Act (1998) and any other previous land laws notwithstanding, the majority of people in the project area own iana on communal basis as has been the case since time immemorial. In accordance with the 1995 Constitution of Uganda, this arrangement of land ownership falls under the customary land tenure system. Households have user rghts over their land and responsibility to utilize the land according to their wishes. Individual household rights may only be terminated if the household ceased to cultivate the land or if members of the household became social outcasts. In which case, land would revert to the clan heads/leaders for reallocation. Individual user rights are passed on to the next person through inheritance. For any dealings on land for public projects or where 'an outsider' wishes to acquire a large chunk of land, clan eldersAeaders have got to be contacted first. These days, members of- local councils and chiefs may be co-opted but on the preference of elders. There are few households with land titles even in main urban centres such as Nebbi and Arua. The other forms of land tenure as listed under Article 237 of the Constitution are not common in the project. 3.10 Land Use Land use in the districts along the project road is typically not planned but determined by availability, suitability and to a great extent by clan decisions. Agriculture is the major use to which land is put and is a major economic activity. Agriculture provides employment to over 90% of the total population. A wide range of agricultural crops and livestock are farmed. Major crops grown include simsim, sunflower, finger millet, cassava, matooke, sorghum. rice. sugarcane, sweet potatoes and a whole range of other food crops. Traditional cash crops are cotton coffee and tobacco upon which households depend for income to keep homes. The average size of land holdings ranges between 0.2 and 2.0 hectares. Some households keep a few cows and other small livestock. Fishing is a significant activity in areas close to the rivers, especiaiy the River Nile. Species caught include Nile Perch, Tilapia, Clariaris, Lungfish and Loleco. 3.11 Sources of Income and Employment Most households obtain their main source of livelihood from subsistence farming, growing both foad and some cash crops. A significant proportion of the population is involved in trade, especially cra0s- border trade. Some youth are involved in pit-sawing and timber production activities. Some households support their incomes by sale of charcoal and firewood along the roadside. Women aso contribute significantly in the production process even though they have limited or even no control over the means of production. Where cash is involved, women's decisions are ignored usually to trief disadvantage because it is mostly women's labour used in the process. Roughton Intemational Pi In association with U-Group Consult  Section 3: Cultural and Socio-Economic Pronl. The main source of household livelihood in the project area is predominantly subsistance farming. An average of 80% of the total households grow various crops on smalkholdings using rudimentary methods and relying on famity labour especially women and children. No soil enhancement practices such as application of fertilizers are used to improve productivity per unit area. Income from activities such as petty trading and formal employment is just to augment the assured income from subsistence farming. At the district level, the majority of households are not engaged in any formal economic activity. Some people in areas close to the road and urban areas especially the youth and women, provide their service and/or labour either permanently or on temporary basis. People in this category include teachers, mechanics of all types, labourers, vendors/hawkers, carpenters, brick makers and builders and fish-mongers. Such people normally stay in villages from where they commute every morning. Others conduct various types of petty trade business. Examples include: small shops/Kiosks and market stalls dotted along the project road and village paths. These shops and market stalls provide surrounding areas with essentiaVbasic commodities in much small and affordable quantities. This benefits most households whose incomes are low. A considerable number of people, especially the young, aged, disabled and unemployed depend on family support. Women shoulder most of this responsibility in addition to their other obligations. Recently, the number orphans has almost doubled in each household due to wars and the Aids pandemic, thereby making the life of women much more difficult. 3.12 Social Organization The project area is generally a rural setting because life in the local communities is still based on informal ties such as kinship or extended family system. In tum, these ties determine the day-to-day socio-economic and cultural activities including land use and land tenure systems, division of labour, conflict resolution and decision making at family and community levels. Most people in the project area - with exception of a few non-indigenous and formally employed - stay in their villages/ancestral homes and only come to town on specific missions after which they go back. Such missions range from water collection, purchase of essential commodities such as salt, through seeking medical services to making money. They are still attached to their villages for almost all their needs. Views of the family or household head takes precedence in most issues pertaining to his/her family or household. Issues that cannot be handled within the family may have to be presented to the elders in the extended family circles before being taken anywhere else. The Local Council System - whic2 s also almost based on similar arrangements - or formal courts, may be referred to as the iast resorL ThPe Local Government Act, 1997 stipulates how Local Councils are supposed to go about cases t1^- handle in order to avoid legal confusion. 3.13 Areas of Socio-cultural Importance Preliminary investigations show that this project will not directly affect any known sites of archaeo"a -a or cultural importance. But as a general principle, the construction phase activities should try to 4. .m religious sites such as graveyards and family shrines. 3.14 Agencies with Interests in the Project There are a number of agencies with varying degrees of interest in this project either because -- have on-going projects in the region or by the nature of their mandated activities and respon.sa0- Some agencies have been consulted during the EIA investigations (refer Appendix B). These -* - MOWHC, NEMA, UWA, and the Directorate of Water Development, German Development S- (DED), German Technical Co-operation (GTZ), Gulu, the Wetlands Program, Nebbi and Arua administration, World Bank, USAID, and Urban Councils. The major development activities currently in progress in the project area include the rehabil".- roads in MFNP and the bitumen surfacing of the main street in Arua (which would otherwise ha- part of the current project). Urban councils also have their development plans, which shouki adversely affected by the road upgrading. Roughton Intemational In associaton with U-Group Consult  Section 3: Cultural and Socio-Econornic Prof-le Roughton Intemational In association with U-Group Consult  Section 4: Cultural and Socao- Econornic Impacts 4. THE CULTURAL AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACTS 4.1 Overview One of the major objectives of carrying out SAs is to assess the impact of development projects, and where adverse impacts are identified, to determine how they can be overcome of at least substantially mitigated. Main possible social impacts are identified and evaluated based on their effect to the key stakeholders of this project. The key stakeholders were identified in Section 1.3 of this report. 4.2 Effects on the Local Community/Families Improvement of the road will encourage more traffic and higher vehicular speed in the hitherto quiet rural areas. A major part of the traffic will be long-distance haulage trucks to and from southem Sudan and eastern Congo. Increased traffic speed due to a better standard of road will have an effect on road safety for pedestrians, cyclists, livestock and their owners, who will face increased risks of injury from faster. moving vehicles. It is not considered that noise will be a significant problem when construction is complete and the road is operational. As with noise, there will be an increased problem of dust during the construction process. However, when the road is upgraded, there will be no impact due to dust. This will be a positive environmental benefrt of the improved road. Improvement to the road will greatly improve access and trade to hitherto remote and less developed parts of the West Nile region and in particular farmers will have access to markets. Basic commodities such as paraffin, washing soap and salt will become more readily available and small businesses are more likely to prosper. A positive benefit of improving the road will be that it will be far easier and cheaper for excess produce to be taken to major markets such as Kampala. It will be worthwhile for farmers to invest in traditional agriculture cash crops that they were previously unable to sell. The upgraded road will improve access, resulting in the existing settlements increasing in size and possibly new settlements being established, thereby increasing the population. There is likely to be increased household incomes and employment opportunities. The project area is potentially a highly productive agricultural region, which will benefit from the upgraded road. It will become easier to transport cotton and other agricultural products to Kampala and Jinja while i will become easier to transport manufactured goods from those towns to the project area Transport and vehicle maintenance costs will reduce because of improved road surface and reduction in the time taken to complete a joumey. Because of reductions in vehicle operating costs created ty improved roads, the price of goods into the region from elsewhere in the country should reduce as should the cost of passenger transport. The likely resulting improvement to feeder roads will spread this effect into areas some distance from the project road. Improvements to the project road are likely to bring changes to socio-economic status, social relations household incomes and other related aspects as a consequence of improved physical mobility and market information flow, access to health care services, education, agricultural inputs v'd manufactured goods. Some land will permanently be lost to road widening and other related improvements. Temporary !and take will occur when land is used for borrow pits, quarries, contractor's camps and other working areas and accesses to them. Land will also be required for load diversions during the construction process Much of this land loss can be mitigated by fair compensation and after all, total penmanent land take *.d be insignificant because the road is wide enough. There will also be no displacement of familes warrant involuntary resettlements plans. Roughton International P . In associaaon with U-Group Consult  Section 4: Cultura/ and Socio- Economic Impacts Wrth increased accessibilrty to the region, there is a possibility that the value of land will increase and also bring about changes in the way it is used. All land close to the project road from Pakwach to Arua will specifically gain value, as it will be competed for by various people, for various uses. Proliferation of diseases during and after construction may occur in the communities along the road. Labourers, truck drivers and other travellers will be in the project area for sometime which will necessitate them to mix socially with the local communities. As a result, various diseases including AIDS may be spread to the community. Closely associated with this, is the possible erosion of traditional values due to urbanisation that could be associated with the upgraded road. Issues such as truancy, crime, prostitution and other social vices may become more widespread. Based on the consultations with local representatives and some youth groups, the KPA Road Project is very strongly supported. It is also though to have been long over due because the West Nile region has no good road connection to Kampala (unlike other regions). The most significant concem of the people in Aura voiced at all meetings was that the road contract should not be let out as one to a single contractor. They were of the view that the Karuma - Pakwach section be given to a different contractor from the Pakwach - Arua section in order to minimize delays, especially those associated with insecurity. 4.3 Effects on Women As a special group, women will be affected in a number of ways, by the proposed road upgrading. The positive impacts will be of medium to long-term duration, since they are all significant. They include: * Ease mobiiity especially in reaching health facilities, markets and other areas of importance to them in their day-to-day lives. * Increased incomes and better prices for the products they sell as a result of increased marketing facilities which will make their life easier as they fulfill their social obligations. * Job opportunities, for example, through sell of food, drinks, fruits, grinding stones, charcoal and firewood. * Increased dealings with other areas in the country especially with women groups in the south through which exchange of information and experiences will be done. * Possible change in the status of women due to increased incomes as a result of more economic opportunities. Possible indirect social costs that may affect women as a result of this project are not expected to be significant and are far outweighed by benefits, but include: * Possible food shortages in households as a result of selling food produce after having been attracted by good prices offered by traders. * Possible losing out in their small time businesses along the road to bigger and more organized groups with more money to invest. * Shortage of fuelwood due to increased sales of charcoal and firewood by various groups in the project area to the travelling public especially those going to Kampala. * - Loss of land to the project will have an insignificant affect on women and househoids 4.4 Effects on Refugees The project area especially Gulu and Arua districts have a number of internally displaced people amrd refugees from Sudan and the Congo within their boundaries. The upgrading of this road will Impro s accessibility to the refugee camps and protected areas by agencies, which provide relief supply 7 road has been a problem to relief organizations dealing with refugees in northem Uganda but aner "e upgrading, their services will be better and faster which will benefit the refugees. Most of the -,- supplies to either intemally displaced or refugees from neighbouring countries, comes from or t - coordinated in Kampala. Roughton Intematbonal ; In associadon with U-Group Consult  Section 4: Cultural and Socio- Economic Impacts 4.5 Effects on Private Companies Private companies operating in the project area especially British American Tobacco (BAT) Uganda Limited will greatly beneft from this project through reduced transport and operational costs of vehicles as they ferry tobacco to Kampala. They will also save in terms of time spent between Kampala and the tobacco producing areas in the region. However, the upgraded road may bring in other competitors for tobacco growing or promotion of other cash crops such as clonal coffee to replace tobacco. In either cases, it will be the community in the project area to gain from this competition. 4.6 Effects on Urban Areas WVth upgrading of KPA road, urbanization is expected to increase and so will the population of these centres. Many shops will be built and small trading centres may change their status to bigger ones. Traders will find it easy to purchase items for their businesses and all in all, the living conditions of the people will greatly improve. It was found out during the field survey that urban authorities in Nebbi and Pakwach were worried about the possibility of the new road affecting the existing structure plans especially if the road avoids these towns. This may lead to development of unplanned structures which may be difficult to do away with in the future town plans. Roughton Intemational P .. In association with U-Group Consult  Section 5: Mttigabon Measupss 5. MITIGATION MEASURES 5.1 Overview Tarmacking and realignment of the existing KPA road will be associated with some adverse social impacts. However, these undesirable social impacts as identified in the previous chapter can be minimised by implementing appropriate measures proposed below 5.2 Land Take There are two basic issues regarding the mitigation of land take. The first is to minimise the amount of land taken by construction activities, and the second is to mitigate the effect on the owner, or user of the land that has to be taken. Regarding the first, road construction and road detours to and from sources of materials should, as a matter of principal, stick to the existing alignment of existing road or track. In case of a completely new access road, avoid meandering and direct contact with existing structures e.g. houses. WVth compensation for land that has to be taken either permanently or temporary, the overriding goal is for the process to be fair. It would be reasonable to apply the precautionary rule that no person or family should be worse off after the project development than before it. In all cases. MoWHC and the contractor must explain to the affected people in details, the reasons for land take. It is recommended that a provisional sum item be included in the contract documents for the payment of all compensation through the contract, in order that this is done promptly. 5.2.1 Permanent Land Take For land taken permanently especially between Nebbi and Arua, compensation should not be less than the market value of the land, any standing crops, buildings or fruit trees (see Appendix 2 for a pnce list). For plantations, such as coffee, an allowance should be made for loss of income until altemative plants are established and bearing. There may be justification for hardship grants to permit the affected families to re-establish themselves. This option seemed to be the most preferred from communrty consultations carried out along the project road. 5.2.2 Temporary land take For land to be used temporarily, it is recommended that the contractor makes all necessary arrangements subject to the fbllowing: a) approval to the lease agreement, and the individual amounts of compensation ty MoWHC and local project management; b) the inclusion of full reinstatement of the land as a condition of the agreement; c) that any compensation payment made be not less than the value of the agncufttsm produce which would otherwise have been produced from the land, until the cotrari hands it back, reinstated; and d) payments to the affected should be made in instalments no less frequently than qua0Vc'V 5.2.3 Compensation procedure and considerations These conditions are to protect farmers from exploitation by contractors. Poor farmers arw ^- mesmerised by a wad of cash, without calculating that over the time that the land is to be 'A production the cash is less than the value of potential crops. A one-off payment is likely squandered rapidly, leaving nothing over for the remainder of the lease period. Presently, there are long delays in the payment of compensation, creating major hardships for fa- If there is money in the construction contract to cover this, then one of the most serious a . ' aspects of road development projects would be mitigated to a great extent. 5.3 Construction Traffic and Road Detours Whenever there are existing tracks to borrow areas and quarries, they should be used and m. -- necessary. If they are non-existent, new tracks should be constructed along alignments ag,- Roughton Intemational In associabon with U-Group Consult  section 5 Mitigatio,n Measures the land users. In either case, new tracks must be used exclusivety. Road detours are unavoidabie. However, their impact on surrounding land can be minimised by keeping them as close as possible to the road line. Where the improved road deviates from the existing road, then the latter should be used as the detour. The length of detours in operation during the rains should reduced. Employment of qualified drivers, detailed briefing of the job in hand, imposition of maximum speed limits within settlements and active management's vigilance are some of the measures to reduce the impact of construction traffic and road detours. 5.4 Traffic (Road) Safety and Nuisance If not properly organised, the cobstruction process itself will create a serious traffic hazard. A number of good road safety initiatives or design features recommended to reduce these hazards include: There should be minimum disruption to existing traffic. All deviations and reductions in normal road width must be signposted well in advance. Any stretches of road that are restricted to one way traffic must have a clear and effective "stop-go" system, preferably using large rotating signs ('STOP" on one side, "GO on the other), rather than flag waving, which is often confusing to drivers. By far the most serious traffic impact of the improved roads will be on road safety, due to increased vehicle speeds. Erection of visible and well-printed road signs before every notable phenomenon such as settlements, sharp bends, bridges, ndges, and cattie farms, etc. Clear line markings to demarcate lanes and restrict overtaking shouid be done in visiDle paint ana kept tidy. Marker posts should be used on sharp bends, and guard rails installed where there are steep slopes below the roads and on big river crossings. The use of roundabouts or well designed road bends at entrance to settlements appear to make significant reductions in speed. A combination of rumble strips and road humps ("sleeping policemen') should be used in conjunction with waming signs, to ensure that the speeds are reduced. Covering of drainage channels in settlements should be mandatory. Provision of footpaths and cycle tracks separated from the roads is another measure to improve road safety. It keeps pedestrians off the main road. Coupled with "zebra crossings", cycle tracks will be beneficial to the population in the project area whose majority use bicycles as the mode of transport. It is also recommended that creation of parking bays for vehicles especially buses, lorries and taxis wishing to stop near main settlements is given priority. It would also be of great importance if road width in main trading centres is increased to cater for vehicles parked on the roadside thus reducing occurrence of accidents. There needs to be an education and awareness programme mounted to inform villagers of the dangers of the improved road. This should be done through schools and Local Councils, women and youth groups. They need to know their rights and obligations as far as trunk roads are concerned well ahead of its completion. Though not directly in the scope of this project, it is recommended that training should be given to pnmary school teachers in methods of imparting road safety knowledge. 5.5 Loss of Business Opportunities by Women With the new road, a lot of people will join the business sector in which women are already involved such as sale of charcoal, essential commodities and other petty trade activities. This might cause nrgn competition in all aspects and as a resuit, women might be pushed out by the bigger and well-organuzea groups, which could having more moneyto invest. In order to minimize the rate of loss by wormen support should be sought from poverty alleviation program such as the 'Entandikwa' Scheme for suA loans. Training in business management and marketing skills should also be extended to wornen so that they are able to compete favourably. 5.6 Scarcity of Fuelwood Woodfuel is the main source of energy in Uganda and more especially in rural areas. For exar'Tr' consumption of fuelwood is estimated at an average of 0.9 to 1.0 dry tonnes per year per r i I x Fuelwood consumption is therefore likely to increase if the roads are upgraded. The main reason r- Roughton Intemational P ;- In associadon with U-Group Consult  SectfOn 5 MiMgabon Measues that more new trading centres are likely to develop along these roads which may attract people from within and outside the project area. Since electric power from UEB grid will not be immediately availed, the increased population in the centres and outside the area served by this road will use woodfuel for most of their energy requirements. The end result will be that the now well-vegetated areas along the proposed road will be targeted for charcoal production. Existing plots of wood on private land and some trees may be depleted which will force women to travel longer distances in search of fuelwood. The potential impact is considered to be moderate but of long-term significance. Strengthening afforestation programs and supporting use of fuel saving cook stoves especially around all settlements in the project area should be able to alleviate the scarcity of fuelwood. 5.7 Proliferation of Diseases Spread of diseases such as AIDS and other infectious diseases along the project road could be a significant social impact. Strengthening the medical facilities and improving on people's awareness based on current active programs will help in reducing the rate of infection. The level of awareness in Uganda with regard to improved health is now relatively high, therefore disease control is improving. 5.8 Possible Food Shortaaes The project area especially Nebbi district is agrculturally productive and tends to have surplus food to feed families all the year around. Some of this food has always been sold to traders in other districts with inherent food shortages such as Pallisa, Kumi and Kotido desplte accessibiiity to the region having been difficut. With a new road, more traders offering better prices and terms will more likely buy all the food produced in the region leaving individual families with less food to see them throughout the year. If this occurs, more burden will be placed on the women's shoulders because they are supposed to feed their families. However, food shortages having been caused by families over-selling their food as a result of this road will not have significance effects on the local communlties. Money got out of the sales can be used to sustain families up to the next harvest season and most likely, families will increase their total production in orderto cater for both selling and food supply in case there is good market. Roughton International In associabon with U-Group Consult  Appendx 1- People ConsuKted Appendix I List of People Consulted Kampala and Entebbe Justine Ecaat EIA Specialist, NEMA Moses Mapesa Deputy Director - EIA & Planning, UWA Bart Young Chief of Party, UWA Dr. Yakobo Moyini Ag. Executive Director, UWA Eng. Mugisa Obielo Commissioner of Works, MoWHC Masindi district Mugabi Adyeri Warden, Community Conservation, MFNP Francis Ogwal Warden, Community Conservation, MFNP Nelson Guma Tourism, MFNP Thomas Akora Law Enforcement, MFNP Doreen Environmental Officer, Masindi Kamdini Township Apac District Peter Abura Elder Sam Otim Resident Robert Emuna Resident Herbert Ogwal Chairman, Urban Development Committee Okello Etot Councillor, Aber Subcounty Gulu District Desion Oola Obonyom Road Engineer, Local Govemment Alex Otim Environment Officer Pakwach Town Council Sebi Juma Land Supervisor Alex Ouchi Treasurer Steven Anecho Assistant Treasurer Nyaravur Trading Centre, Nebbi Ceasar Kacungumbe Ocul Youth Secretary George Ojuku ResidentUtransporter Juma Abdulai Finance Secretary for Youth Ismail Nasur Transport Broker Federico Pithua Onega Resident Nebbi Town Eriam Ozele District Works Engineer Richard Ongom Asst. Resident District Commissioner S.K.B. Kerfua Town Engineer Eric Fagayo Town Clerk Charles Kissa Asst- Water Officer, Nebbi Distrct Arua Town Anson Draku - Senior Assistant Engineer Edward Adraku District Environment Officer Filda Odongkara Administrator, MoWHC, Arua Francis Anguzu Roads Supervisor, Arua Municipality Paul Anyayo Works Supervisor, Arua Municipality Robert Achot Treasurer, Arua Municipality- Roughton Intemational 3 In assocation wlth U-Group Consult  Appendx 2: Compensation R@tes APPENDIX 2 COMPENSATION RATES FOR THE PERIOD JULY 1995/JUNE 1996 IN NEBBI DISTRICT ITEM DESCRIPTION UNIT RATE CROPS 1. Avocado per tree 75,000= 2 Coffee . 500= 3 Finger Millet acre 50,000= 4 Cotton acre 100,000= 5 Tobacco per plant 250= 6 Maize acre 60,000= 7 Simsim , 150,000= 8 Sorghum 80,000= 9 Groundnuts . 90,000= 10 Serena 140,000= 11 Grams 50,000= 12 Beans 90,000= 13 Soya beans . 120,000= 14 Cow peas 50,000= 15 Pigeon peas . 70,000= 16 Sunflower 150,000= 17 Cassava 40,000= 18 Bananas Stool 20,000= 19 Plantains 1,500= 20 Sweet potatoes acre 50,000= 21 Rice 180,000= 22 Yams per plant 500- 23 Pineapple 350= 24 Lady finger (otigo) M2 200= 25 Rumpkin per plant 800= 26 Tomatoes . 350= Roughton International Page a. In associaDon with U-Group Consult  Appendx 2: Compensation Rates ITEM DESCRIPTION UNIT RATE 27 Egg plant per plant 250= 28 Cabbage per plant 250= 29 Sugar cane cluster 300= 30 Sisal plant 150= 31 Passion fruit plant 20,000= 32 Oranges & Lemons per tree 6,000= 33 Cashew nut 5,000= 34 Guava tree 7,000= 35 Mango 10.000= 36 Jambula _ 2,500= 37 Jack fruit 15,000= 38 Greens, all types M2 200= 39 Pawpaw tree 2,000= 40 Chiles per plant 200= 41 Cocoyams per plant - 200= 42 Irish potatoes acre 560,000= 43 Onions 600,000= HOUSES/PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE 44 Grass thatched roof with mud walls M2 2,000= 45 New Grass thatched house with mud walls M2 3.000= 46 Semi Permanent Building 3,500= 47 Permanent Building 5000= 48 Grave uncemented No. 1 - 10,000= 49 Grave cemented 30,000- 50 Granary M2 2,000. 51 Pit latrine grass thatched 2.5000 52 Bath House (a) temporary 500o (b) permanent 1,000. 53 Plate Lack: (a) Reeds/Sticks No. No.@ 1,000. (b) Poles/TMmber 2,500= Roughton Intemational psp in association with U-Group Consult  Appendx 2: COmpensation Rates ITEM DESCRIPTION UNIT RATE 54 Animal enclosures 350= per (a) Barbed wire on poles meter run per (b) Sticks strand 250= per metre run 55 Disturbance Allowance: (a) 3 months or less quit notice 30% (b) 6 months quit notice 15% FOREST PRODUCE 56 Timber: Classes: i) Hard wood M3 34,200= ii) Hard wood & Cypress 9,496= iii) Hard wood and Pines 7,600= 57 Poles (a) Plantation Class: Size (diameter at thick end) i) 5cm - 9cm per pole 300= ii) 10cm - 14cm per running metre of length 400= iii) 15cm - 19cm per running metre of varies iv) 20cm 0 24cm length according to measured length v) 25cm - 29cm vi) 30cm - 40cm Produce above 40cm is timber e.g. Eucalyptus SSP is Class I (b) Natural Forest Bush i) 5cm - 9cm ii) I Ocm-14 iii) 15cm - 19cm iv) 20cm - 24cm v) 25cm - 29cm 58 W7thes (Faggots) per head load 600= Roughton Intemational Page In association with U-Group Consult  Appenldx 2: Con7ponsation Rates ITEM DESCRIPTION UNIT RATE 59 Treated Fence Posts (Treated with preservative by hot and cold methods and sap-displacement method). Class i) 5cm - 9cm per running metre of ii) 1 Ocm - 14cm pole 720= 1,050= iii) 15cm- 19cm . 1,590= iv) 20cm - 24 cm 2,040= 60 Fire wood a) Plantation per stacked m3 1,794= b) Natural Forest (Bush Fuel) 1,650= 61 Bamboo Wild/Plantation species per pole 150= 62 Christmas Tree -less than 3 metres high per tree 4,500= -3m - 5m high 9,000= -over Sm high 15,000= 63 Seeds and Seedlings a) Seeds per kg. 15,000= b) Seedlings per plant 90= Forest trees per plant 300= c) Omamentals (shade/foliage tree, shrub and house plants) 3,000= respectively d) Fruit Plants per plant 300= 64 Palms Borasus palm per tree 3,600= other palms per tree 2,400= Roughton Internathonal Pago . * In associaton with U-Group Consult