Disclosure Notice : Environmental and Social Management Plan for the construction of a Teaching Complex – SAVE Project
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT PLAN FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF A TEACHING COMPLEX AND ONLINE DISTANCE LEARNING HUB FACILITY AT THE KAMUZU UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH SCIENCES, LILONGWE
Disclosure Notice
The Government of Malawi is implementing the Skills for a Vibrant Economy (SAVE) project with support from the World Bank (International Development Association, hereinafter, the Association). SAVE is financed through a national resource envelope of US$100 million from the Association for a period of five years. The Project Development Objective is to increase equitable access to market
relevant skills in priority areas of the economy, especially for females and vulnerable youth. The project consists of the following four components:
Component 1: Supporting public higher education institutions in increasing equitable access to market relevant skills development programs; Component 2: Supporting Technical, Entrepreneurial, and Vocational Education and Training to increase equitable access to market relevant skills development
Component 3: Tertiary education student financing and system strengthening, project management, M&E, and communications Component 4: Contingency Emergency Response.
Therefore, this notice serves to notify interested or affected persons/parties and the general public of the Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP), which has been developed to respond to environmental and social risks arising from construction of the teaching complex and the online and distance (OdeL) learning hub facility at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Lilongwe Upper Campus. The construction of the OdeL Complex Hub Facility aims to improve academic excellence and access to market-relevant skills-development programs. Specifically, the project will increase student enrolment, improve the
quality of teaching and research, train high-level human resources, provide research and consultancy services, and disseminate knowledge for societal advancement. Construction activities for the project will involve building a two story teaching complex and an OdeL facility that will comprise lecture rooms, offices, pantries, and washrooms.
In conformity with both the national and World Bank environmental and social standards, and social standards, the project has been planned and designed in a manner that enhances potential positive environmental and social impacts and minimises potential negative impacts. This has been achieved through environmental and social assessments that led to the development of the Environmental and Social Management Plan. The environmental and social assessment identified and evaluated the potential environmental and social impacts that the project might generate, proposed measures to enhance the positive impacts and measures to mitigate the negative impacts, and developed a monitoring plan to check the implementation of the enhancement measures for positive impacts and mitigation measures for negative impacts.
Some of the positive impacts that the ESMP identified include increased student intake at the University; increased employment opportunities for skilled and non skilled workers, capacity building of academic staff, and non-academic staff members at the University, and improved teaching and learning at the University. Some of the negative impacts identified by the ESMP report included increased air pollution due to increased dust emissions, increased noise pollution due to construction works, increased soil and water pollution due to spillage of oils and fuels, increased accident incidences due to construction works, increased generation of solid waste, increased risk of illicit behaviour and crime, increased risk of HIV and AIDS, and transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STI); increased risk of safety of staff and students at the University during the construction phase; increased risk of disturbance of teaching and learning activities at the University; increased risk of gender-based violence, sexual harassment, and Sexual Exploitation and Abuse; increased risk of child and forced labour; and increased risk of construction work-induced traffic congestion.
The Environmental and Social Management Plan for the project site has been presented to the Malawi Environment Protection Authority (MEPA) and the World Bank and is now ready to be presented to stakeholders interested in any observations.
The report is now available for reference purposes at any time at the following locations:
• Malawi Environmental Protection Agency, Lingadzi House, and Robert Mugabe Street in Lilongwe
• Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Lilongwe Upper Campus, Off-Mzimba Drive, Opposite Kamuzu Central Hospital.
• Kamuzu University of Health Sciences website, www.kuhes.ac.mw;
To this end, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences proposes to engage stakeholders in the report. Stakeholders and interested persons/parties are invited to participate in the Public Disclosure process by examining the documents available as detailed above and submitting any observations no later than 19 July 2024 to:
Vice Chancellor
Kamuzu University of Health Sciences,
Private Bag 360,
Chichiri,
Blantyre 3
Email: vc@kuhes.ac.mw
Copy pmapulanga@kuhes.ac.mw
Phone Number: +265 1 810 911 / +265 1 811 286
We look forward to your participation in this public disclosure.
