The Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) report for the Nicaragua Canal Development Project, completed by Environmental Resources Management (ERM), has been presented to the Government of Nicaragua.
Xu Changbao, General Manager of HKND’s Nicaragua Office, received the ESIA report from Manuel Román (senior consultant of ERM) and handed it over to the President of the Nicaragua Canal Commission (Manuel Coronel) and the Minister of the Environment and Natural Resources of Nicaragua (Juana Argeñal).
On 4th June 2013, the HKND Group entrusted ERM to carry out an environmental and social impact study for the Canal Project.
ERM organized a leading team of world class experts in environmental and social studies to conduct extensive field investigations, covering a number of provinces in the south of Nicaragua, as well as other surrounding areas around the proposed canal route.
After two years, ERM completed the ESIA report on 29th May, 2015 comprising of 14 volumes with 11,000 pages and up to 2.75 million words. The report covers a wide range of scientific disciplines including geology, soil, groundwater, surface water, air, noise, vibration, marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems; while the social studies cover social resources, community health and cultural heritage; together with local economy and employment.
The completion of the ESIA marks another important milestone of the Nicaragua Canal Development Project and will play a significant role in promoting the Project.
Furthermore, it’s the best embodiment of HKND to bringing forward the Project to the highest international standards. After the Government of Nicaragua reviews and approves the ESIA, it will be disclosed to the public as required by the Nicaraguans Laws.