Southern African Trade and Connectivity Project (Malawi)
Environmental Safeguards specialists under the SATCP project on 5 July updated District Executive Committee (DEC) members from Machinga and Zomba on progress on the design review and construction supervision of the rehabilitation of Liwonde – Matawale Road.
Taking their turn, Environmental and Social Research Consulting (ESOREC), the consultants tasked to do the feasibility study and detailed design for the project explained that an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) report for the project was already released in 2021.
The design review of the road shall include review and updating of the ESIA of the road section in line with Environmental Management Act of 2017, preparing an Environmental and Social Management (ESM) Plan that conforms to the project Environmental and Social Management Framework. The consultants will also review the compensation schedule, compensation rates and develop a Resettlement Action Plan in line with the project Resettlement Policy Framework and Stakeholder Engagement Plan.
The Liwonde – Matawale road rehabilitation works are going to affect lives of communities along the road, as a result safeguard measures have been built into the project to enhance safety and security of the people. Mr. Geoffrey Kumbuyo, an Environmental Safeguard Specialist with the SATCP Project Implementation Unit communicated that some of the activities would involve mapping of schools along the road.
“We will assess the affected schools’ risks and bring the International Road Assessment Programme (iRAP) star rating per school to at least 3 stars by addressing the problematic areas through physical improvements. We may put speed humps, pedestrian crossings, speed management traffic signs and the like, which will be accompanied by road safety awareness campaigns so we can safeguard the lives of children in the schools,’ he said.
Some DEC members observed however that there were already existing plans to upgrade other sections of the same road to dual carriage roads and hoped the project would accommodate this. Others observed that there would be need to consider a bus bay at Chinamwali Trading Centre where activities along the road intensify on market days. Some encouraged the project to work on a vibrant drainage system to prevent what is happening in some areas where dirt and mud has submerged drains and blocked roads.
The consultants engaged to develop the detailed design for the project assured the DEC members that a thorough ESIA was done and that the implementation of the project would follow strict iRAP specifications. The Government of Malawi, with financing from the World Bank under the Southern Africa Trade and Connectivity Project (SATCP) is rehabilitating the Liwonde – Matawale (M003) Road which stretches for some 45 kilometres.
