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Regional Environmental Assessment report on the coastal zone of Lebanon
For Lebanon's Council for Development and Reconstruction (CDR) and the World Bank, ECODIT and the French Institut d'Aménagement Urbain de la Région d'Ile de France (IAURIF) prepared a regional environmental assessment (REA) of the coastal zone of Lebanon. For this six-month study, ECODIT assembled a team of international and local specialists in land use, urban planning, coastal ecology, hydrology, water pollution, air pollution, laws and regulations, and environmental economics. ECODIT identified development scenarios, described the environment, predicted and evaluated the cumulative impacts of the scenarios, compared alternative scenarios, and prepared recommendations for a Coastal Zone Management Plan. ECODIT and IAURIF prepared a Geographic Information System for Lebanon's coastal zone at the 1:50,000 scale, with more detailed information for hot spots and sensitive areas (1:25,000 scale). ECODIT consulted with government agencies, NGOs, and industry groups throughout the project. ECODIT prepared a draft report and organized a full-day workshop in Beirut to discuss the draft report. Based on comments received during the workshop and in consultation with CDR and the World Bank, ECODIT prepared the final REA report on the coastal zone of Lebanon.
Integrated Coastal Zone Management in Madagascar
For UNOPS and Madagascar's National Office for the Environment (ONE), ECODIT conducted an inventory of Madagascar's marine and coastal ecosystems (in particular, coral reefs and mangroves) and of their biodiversity, and an environmental assessment of Madagascar's coastal zone. Working closely with local experts, ECODIT collected information and data on the environmental state of marine and coastal resources. ECODIT identified the main problems and challenges for the sustainable development and conservation of the coastal zone. ECODIT recommended institutional, economic, and regulatory tools to implement an Integrated Coastal Zone Management programme in Madagascar. ECODIT also identified a few areas that can be established as marine protected areas
Municipal Coastal Environment Initiative (MCEI) in the Philippines
ECODIT is a subcontractor to Chemonics on the MCEI project for the Philippines' Department of Environment and Natural Resources (financed by USAID with a budget of $8 million over four years). The project aims at reducing the gaseous, liquid, and solid wastes of the coastal industries in the Philippines. One of its objectives is to reduce by 20 percent the industrial pollution of 400 factories located in the coastal zone (Dumeugete, Bohol, Visayas, and Cebu). The MCEI project will organize training workshops for industries on pollution prevention techniques, environmental management, and ISO 14000. Providing ISO 14001 certification to 200 factories is another objective of the MCEI project. In addition, the MCEI project will strengthen the institutional capacity of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Trade and Industry to implement the environmental agenda, protect the coastal and marine ecosystems, promote a more sustainable industrial development.
Environmental Impact Study of a tourist resort on France's Southwestern coast
ECODIT coordinated the preparation of a complex and comprehensive study to evaluate the impact of the construction of a tourist resort (golf course, hotels, apartments) along the Atlantic Ocean and the dunes of the southwestern coast of France. The study evaluated the impact on several rare plants and trees (osmonde royale, salsepareille, chêne-liège) and endangered species (loutre, vison d'Europe, and genette). ECODIT directed the preparation of a hydrogeological study to analyze the equilibrium between salt water and fresh water and evaluate the impact on the Lareuillot and Montagne du Bec wetlands. ECODIT also estimated the impact on ecosystems within protected areas such as Etang Noir de Seignosse, Marais d'Orx, and Lac Noir d'Ondres. ECODIT recommended and estimated the costs of various measures (during construction and operation of the resort) to mitigate or reduce the impacts.
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