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Plans by Zimbabwe and Zambia to jointly develop a 2 400 megawatt (MW) power plant on the Batoka Gorge along the Zambezi River remain on course and is progressing well, the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has said.

ZRA enlisted a South African firm back in 2014 to undertake an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA) study for the project.

This comes as ZRA stressed that Zimbabwe will not need to compensate any individuals in the community where the hydro power project will be developed as the initiative will not affect any primary residential structure or social facility.

ZRA is a bilateral regulatory organisation co-owned by Zimbabwe and Zambia to administer the affairs of the Zambezi River, including developmental and economic projects on or around the river such as power projects.

Once completed, the Batoka Hydro Electric Scheme will become only the second major source of electricity equally shared by Zimbabwe and Zambia, while also located on the same borderline river.

The project will go a long way in resolving chronic power shortages in both countries all year round, through run of the river generating potential, which will reach its peak during periods of high water flows.

Zimbabwe for instance, faces a debilitating power crisis with demand peaking at 2 200MW in winter against reliable internal capacity of just 1 600MW at best, which affects industrial, commercial and household activities.

The administrative organisation for the Zambezi River said the process of an environmental and social impact assessment for Batoka was being undertaken by South African firm, Environmental Resources Management, 47 kilometres downstream of the resort town of Victoria Falls.

The ESIA is being undertaken in terms of the environmental management laws of both Zimbabwe and Zambia. The Government of Zimbabwe has already issued statutory instrument 188 of 2020 setting aside land for the Batoka hydro-electric scheme project.

ZRA chief executive Munyaradzi Munodawafa, said;  “the ESIA report has been developed with the inclusion of the Resettlement Policy Framework and Livelihood Restoration Plans that will be implemented to mitigate the impacts on the affected individuals and communities.”

The ESIA studies included livelihood studies of affected communities, household census, socio-economic survey and asset inventory to restore and potentially improve the livelihoods and living standards of economically displaced projected affected performance.

The ESIA covered land for project staff and the land for the dam, power house and related infrastructure including construction camps.

“The resettlement action plans for these project components are not required as construction of these project components will not affect any primary residential structures or social facilities and therefore will not result in any physical displacement,” he said.

Mr Munodawafa also said the ESIA process is also being undertaken in conformance to international standards and best practices like the World Bank Environmental and Social Framework and the International Finance Corporation performance standards regarding compensation of project affected persons.

He said while Zimbabwe had already issued the SI for the project land, it did not imply the need for actual resettlement of people or compensation, but was simply standard excision statute to deter opportunists and unscrupulous settlers.