Expert answer:Outline for Consultants Report
Expert answer:Hello. Around three weeks ago you wrote a consultants report about a trans African railroad. Would you be able to write a one page outline of the report? It has to include two in text citations (from two different sources). Thanks.
consultant_report___abdul_ayoub.docx
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Consultant report on Trans Africa railroad:
Abdul Ayoub
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Trans Africa railroad
Introduction
In the effort to enhance trade development, African continent’s economy, as well as
peace Djibouti’s president Ismael Omer proposed that the trans Africa railroad be constructed
linking Cameroon on the Gulf of Guinea to Djibouti’s Gulf of Tadjourah. This project was
proposed to utilize raw materials from countries in Africa when constructing the railway network
which was supposed to start from Cameroon, on the western side of Africa up to Sudan situated
on the eastern side of Africa. The long-term goal was to reduce poverty in most landlocked
countries which included Uganda, Southern Sudan, Burundi as well as Rwanda. This project was
proposed by Djibouti’s president Ismael Omer to be part of the British Prime Minister Tony
Blair’s proposed investment program while at the G8 meeting. This project was meant to reduce
the time it took to transport goods between the Atlantic Ocean & the Red Sea to about 48 hours
by use of a train which would be traveling at a speed of 150km/h (Holland, n.d.).
This study report entails a description of possible social impacts as well as environmental
impacts likely to be encountered while in the construction phase of the project. This report
comprises of existing environmental conditions within the study area, the potential
environmental impact to be realized because of the project, potential social impacts of the
project, mitigation measures for the social as well as environmental impacts & lastly a
conclusion as well as recommendations.
Objectives of the Environmental & social impact assessment
The main objective of the environmental & social impact assessment is to determine &
assess potential adverse as well as positive impacts which may be realized as a result of the trans
Africa railroad on the socio-economic wellbeing of the population who will be affected by the
project directly, as well as the physical and natural environment.
Impacts of the project which were identified have been thoroughly assessed with regard
to the environmental as well as social condition of the study area which were taken as the
baseline. Where it was deemed necessary as well as appropriate measures to mitigate, prevent, as
well as compensate adverse impacts of the project so as to ensure that they do not jeopardize the
success of the project have been proposed. The environmental & social impact assessment was
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prepared in line with international standards applicable in this case which are Health and safety
rules for Railways.
Environmental conditions of the project area.
The rail line will pass through major cities as well as through land utilized for other
purposes. Some of the characteristics of the land use through which the railway will pass through
include, rural settlements as well as urban settlements, agricultural land as well as a small
fraction of non- productive land such as marshlands, shrubs as well as willow groves.
With most of the land which the railroad will pass through being agricultural land, the
climatic conditions, as well as soils within the study area, do support agricultural activities. The
regions through which the railroad will pass from the east to the west received seasonal rainfall
and for this reason, the population of this area plant seasonal crops. One of the main reasons
which contribute to this type of climate within the study area is the proximity of the region to the
equator (Holland, n.d.).
In most parts of the project area, In-situ soil materials are fine as well as medium coarsesilty sands. Additionally, there is clay soil in some parts of the project area. These soils are fertile
with good drainage. They support agricultural activities which mainly involve farming.
Positive impacts of the project
Positive Environmental impacts
With the proposed railway comprising of an electric train, there will be a reduction in the
emission of carbon monoxide in the environment. This because, currently, goods are being
transported via road on tracks which usually emit carbon monoxide, greenhouse gasses, and
nitrogen oxides as well as sulfur oxides. Carbon monoxide gas is usually odorless as well as
tasteless and pollutes the air in the environment. When one inhales this gas, they end up
experiencing health issues since it prevents oxygen from reaching the heart, resulting in
insufficient oxygen in the brain as well as other vital organs. Greenhouse gasses emitted from
vehicles include carbon dioxide which has contributed to a larger extent to climate change which
is experienced globally. Nitrogen gasses emitted by vehicles usually result in lung irritation as
well as a weakened body defense against infections affecting the respiratory system. In addition
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to tracks, the number of vehicles traveling from Sudan to Cameroon will also be reduced since
the train will not only transport goods but passengers as well. This implies that the level of
gasses emitted into the environment will go down as a result of this project. This is because, an
electric train will eliminate the possibility of gasses being emitted into the environment (Allenby,
2013).
Positive socio-economic impacts of the project
The Trans Africa railroad will result in a reduction of the time it takes to travel from one
region/country to another. This will result in increased interactions between people from various
regions. This is because, most people who are usually discouraged by long traveling hours will
start traveling because of the reduced travel time (Transit effectiveness project, 2013).
The second positive socio-economic impact of this project is improved marketing of
goods produced by countries connected by the railway line. This includes agricultural goods as
well as minerals. This is because the project will open up most marginalized areas, thereby
giving the people within this areas an opportunity to market their goods. Additionally, the project
will ensure that perishable goods are transported to the selling points faster even when exported
from one country to the next. This is because the train will be moving at a faster speed in
comparison to when tracks are relied upon to transport these perishable goods.
The third positive socio-economic impact to be realized as result of this project is
improved transport safety as well as comfort. The likelihood of a train being involved in an
accident is quite low in comparison to a vehicle. This is the case since railway lines are usually
designed to handle any possibilities which may arise. Additionally, the Trans Africa railroad
project will eliminate the possibility of track drivers tiring along the way because of the long
distance resulting in fatal accidents (Transit effectiveness project, 2013).
Fourthly, we have the creation of employment opportunities. Being such a massive
project, it will bring about job opportunities to most Africans. Most jobs will be available during
the construction phase of the project. Additionally, after the commissioning of the project, most
people will be employed to work in the rail service industry.
The fifth positive socio-economic impact as result of this project is improved efficiency
in the provision of essential services to the people, such as healthcare. This is because, with a
faster means of transportation, those in dire need of medical services located in areas previously
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thought of as inaccessible, have been opened up with the project and will be able to receive
medical attention as quick as possible.
There will be an improved sense of security within the region as a result of the Trans
Africa railroad. Improved security will be realized since security agencies will be able to provide
security services faster even in remote areas within this region. This is because unlike before,
when most security operations were affected by inaccessible roads, most areas will be opened up
as a result of this project, implying that most parts within this region will be easily reached,
thereby ensuring that provision of security services is efficient.
Lastly, the Trans Africa railroad will stimulate commerce between countries through
which it crosses. This is because better transportation services will encourage investment within
the region, resulting in increased commercial activities within the region.
Negative impacts of the project
Negative environmental impacts of the project.
The Trans Africa railroad project will result in increased soil erosion during the
construction phase of the project. This is the case when the soil type, as well as topography of the
region, is put into consideration. A lot of land is usually required for these types of projects.
Additionally, the project entails many excavations which usually loosens the topsoil. With loose
soil particles, considering a vast area, soil erosion is uncontrollable since these soil particles will
easily be carried away by runoff, as well as strong winds. Most of these soil particles end up
being deposited in streams & rivers, thereby increasing the sediment load in those water bodies.
This results in the reduction of the size of the river, affecting river ecology in the long run
(Starrett, 2009).
The second negative environmental impact of the project is noise as well as ground
vibrations. This is because these projects are usually carried out by heavy machinery which tends
to produce a lot of noise while being operated. This results in noise pollution which tends to
affect most activities such as learning in nearby schools. The direct effects of the noise are
experienced when the project is being carried out near an urban center. This is because most
urban centers tend to be overcrowded with people going about their daily activities. With too
much noise, it is usually hard for them to communicate to one another, thereby resulting in most
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activities with the urban center being affected. Ground vibrations due to the machinery
excavating land, result in most building foundations in the proximity of the project area to be
affected. Some of the buildings within the project area may even end up collapsing in cases
where ground vibrations are extremely severe.
The third negative environmental impact as a result of the Trans Africa project is
pollution of water resources within the project area. This is the case since this project results in
high levels of soil erosion. Whenever soil erosion is facilitated by runoff water, it always finds its
way into water bodies. This results in the discoloration of water since the soil particles will
increase the turbidity of the water. This ends up affecting aquatic life such as fish as well as
marine vegetation.
Lastly, the railroad project will result in loss of vegetation which includes trees as well as
grasslands. This is attributed to the fact that there will be a lot of land clearing to pave way for
the construction of the railroad. This implies that the vegetation cover within the project area will
be destroyed. In situations where the rail line ends up passing through a forest, not only will the
vegetation cover be destroyed but also the lives of wild animals within the forest will also be
disrupted. This is because their habitat will have to be destroyed in order to provide land for the
construction of the railroad. Additionally, some wild animals may end up being killed as a result
of the process involved in the clearing of the vegetation cover (Starrett, 2009).
Negative social impacts of the project.
The Trans Africa railroad project will require a lot of land for the project to be carried
out. For this reason, most people will lose their land in order for it to be utilized for the purposes
of constructing the railroad. With most of the land within the project area being utilized for
agricultural purposes, many people will not only lose land but also their source of livelihood.
Those near the project area may also be forced to lose their land due to unavoidable
circumstances such as increased noise pollution when the railroad is being constructed, as well as
during the operational stage of the project.
The second negative social impact as a result of the Trans Africa project is the decline in
the quality of life as a result of the project. This is the case since the project will result in
increased noise as well as soil pollution. This will be evident during the construction phase of the
project. Noise pollution, as well as air pollution, results in the reduction of the quality of life
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since they will affect the people in terms of health as well as how they communicate. Air
pollution brings about respiratory infections to those who breathe in the polluted air, while noise
pollution makes it hard for people to communicate with one another, as well as burden those
surrounded by it (Kahraman, Kerre and Bozbura, 2012).
Lastly, the Trans Africa railroad project will result in the resettlement of people with land
located with the project area. Resettlement tends to affect people negatively since most
individuals are usually attached to their homes, emotionally. With this emotional attached to
their homes, resettlement results in these individuals being depressed when they are forced to
move from an area they are used to calling their home to another region. For this reason, they are
forced to adapt to their new area even when it is not their will to relocate. This is because, with
such a massive project undertaking, those with land within the project area are not given a
chance to agree whether the project should pass through their land or not. In most cases, they are
usually forced to allow the project to be constructed on their land, with no attempt at gaining
their consent.
As previously stated, there are many positive environmental as well as social impacts to
be realized from this project. However, there are also many negative environmental as well as
social impacts as a result of this project. This implies that for the project to be allowed to proceed
to the construction phase there is need to come up with mitigation measures with regards to the
negative impacts of the Trans Africa railroad project.
Mitigation measures
One of the negative impacts highlighted above is air pollution. Air pollution is at its
highest during the construction phase because of excavation activities which will be taking place.
Additionally, air will be polluted by vehicles transporting construction materials to the
construction sites. In order to prevent air pollution as a result of dust from the construction site
attributed to vegetation being cleared as well as excavation activities, water will have to be
spread at least twice a day. The water will be dispersed on the project site as well as to nearby
settlement areas so as to reduce air pollution. Since air pollution will affect construction workers
most, they will be provided with goggles to protect their eyes as well as dust masks which will
help them breathe in clean air. Tracks carrying construction materials which may end up
polluting the air will be covered so as to prevent heavy winds from blowing the sand away,
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resulting in air pollution. Additionally, in order to ensure that the level of exhaust emissions from
construction vehicles is kept low, the vehicles will be serviced regularly to ensure they are kept
in well maintained. Lastly, in order to ensure that the surrounding population does not end up
being affected by the project, a distance of not less than 600 meters from the area of the project
to those closest to the project should be maintained at all times. This should include people
situated on the windward side of the project area (Kahraman, Kerre and Bozbura, 2012).
In order to prevent the negative impacts of soil erosion, several mitigation measures
should be employed. Earthworks being carried out in order to construct the project should be
carried out in a controlled manner. This should be done by applying the technique of cut & fill so
as to avert the possibility of having loose soil particle soils which may be swept away by runoff
from heavy rainfall. In this technique, soil is removed from where it is not needed and is used to
fill up an area in need of soil. This should always be accompanied by compaction to prevent
loose soil from being carried away by runoff as a result of heavy rainfall with the project area.
Additionally, erosion control measures should be utilized within the project area to prevent the
possibility of soil erosion in the area. This includes landscape embankments as well as revegetating gravel sites. These measures are very important in reducing as well as preventing soil
erosion from taking place within the project area. This is usually achieved by reducing the speed
of water to the extent that it cannot cause soil erosion.
Noise pollution from the construction machinery is another negative impact brought
about by this project. Some of the ways to mitigate this negative impact on the project include,
provision of ear muffs/plugs to all construction workers so as to reduce the effect of high levels
of noise pollution on the construction workers. Since noise pollution not only affects the
construction workers but also residents located close to the construction site, there is a need to
determine ways in which the levels of noise pollution can be reduced. One of the ways to achieve
this is the use of silencers which absorb sounds generated from construction machinery, thereby
reducing the levels of noise pollution. Another technique which should be employed to reduce
the impact of noise pollution on the residents located close to the project area is ensuring that
construction proceeds normal working hours. This ensures that at night as well as during resting
hours in the evening residents can have peace mind since the machines would have gone silent.
Lastly, the machinery utilized during the construction phase of the project should be serviced on
regular basis to ensure that they are well maintained. This will help in the reduction of noise
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pollution since in most cases, noise pollution emanates from faulty equipment (Kahraman, Kerre
and Bozbura, 2012).
Clearing of vegetation cover in order to pave way for the construction of the project is
another negative impact which ought to be mitigated. One way to mitigate this is by ensuring
that a controlled clearing technique is applied when clearing vegetation cover. In this technique,
vegetation is only cleared when it is necessary. If there is an alternative then, the option which
will require less vegetation to be cleared is usually preferred to the one which will require more
vegetation to be cleared. This should be the case even when the option to clear more vegetation
could be a much easier one, in comparison to the option which requires less vegetation cover to
be cleared. After completion of the project, where there will be land space, vegetation cover
such as trees as well as grass should be replanted to ensure that the area becomes green once
more (Starrett, 2009).
Resettlement of people is also amongst the negative impacts as a result of the Trans
Africa project. This implies that there is a need to come up with mitigation measures to this
negative impact which may affect the success of the project. This is because for the project to be
a success people for whom it was meant to help should be in a position to accept the project
wholeheartedly. If they are not happy some of them may end up vandalizing the project in order
to exert revenge. For this reason, it is imperative that a resettlement action plan is written to
ensure that people are compensated fully as per the worth of the land they are losing. This will
result in contentment amongst those who will be resettled in order for their land to be utilized for
the project.
Lastly is the need to mitigate the negative impact of water pollution as result of the
project. This is because water is very important f …
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