Joyce Kortlandt
Technical sectretary
New regional hospital in Burkina Faso: advice on environmental and social impact assessment and livelihoods restoration plan.
Significant details
The construction of a new hospital in Fada N'Gourma, region Est, is a priority for authorities in Burkina Faso. Invest International is funding the feasibility studies for the new hospital, including an environmental and social impact assessment and a livelihood restoration plan, and asked NCEA to assess the latter two studies. NCEA found both studies to be of good quality. However, there is a series of shortcomings as well, both in relation to social aspects as well as to environmental aspects. In its advice to Invest International, NCEA highlighted the need to assess the security situation which the ESIA did mark as high risk but did not elaborate in the analysis. NCEA also advised to take into account the needs of specific groups: women who are affected by the project and ethnic Peulh who have a camp bordering the site of the new hospital. Environmental aspects that merit more attention are the consumption of water and energy by the new hospital and the disposal of biomedical waste and waste water. The NCEA advice will be used to improve the current ESIA and livelihood restoration plan. When all studies are finalised, Invest International will take a decision about possible financing of the new hospital.