COLAS SA

Project: The Stakes and the Solutions on Route RN6 Project in Madagascar

Category: Environmental Mitigation


Project Summary
For the last five years, with support from international financial backers and local companies, the Malagasy government has focused on improving its road network, as a means to enhance the country’s rapid, sustainable development policy. In this way, work has been done on roughly 6,000 kilometers.

In parallel to this increase in road works projects, new requirements in terms of quality, safety and environment on work sites have been set by the Public Works Minister.

Colas, a company that has been operating in Madagascar since 1950, now has the ways and means to meet this challenge. As a socially-minded company, Colas set up programs on its largest project in order to limit and prevent the environmental and social impact of its operations.

The first project concerned by these actions involves a 310-km section on National Route 6 (RN 6) between the towns of Port-Bergé and Ambanja in the north-east of Madagascar.

The project, which is exceptional for Madagascar required the roll out of major resources, both in terms of people and equipment, along with a rigorous organization to prevent and limit environmental and social impact that could come from the work.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS

The fight against deforestation

To help fight deforestation, several actions have been implemented:

  • “Portable stove” policy is a program to favor the use of individual portable gas stove as an energy substitute.
  • Managing land and vegetation: nearly 16,000 trees of different types are being planted.

Preserving resources

The high degree of biodiversity and endemism of its flora and fauna make Madagascar one of the world’s leading attractions. Preserving the environment is one of the project’s main priorities:

  • Managing waste: Wastes are evacuated to management and disposal centers and some are retreated.
  • Re-landscaping after work and limiting clearing areas.
  • Fight against pollution by using retention tanks and hydrocarbon separators.

HUMAN IMPACTS

Building base camps

To house the company’s personnel near the project, three worker villages were built next to the company’s main base camps, which are equipped with a sufficient number of latrines and septic tanks and drinking water tanks with purified water. In addition, three medical centers – each run by their own doctor and nurse - were built.

Raising awareness about sexually-transmitted diseases and malaria

The medical service and chief medical officer of the company presented a number of awareness-raising sessions on the prevention of serious diseases such as sexually-transmitted infections, malaria and diarrhea by providing free condom, making anonymous testing and providing mosquito nets.

Safety of staff

All site staff has been provided with the appropriate personal protective equipment, in line with the specific requirements of each job: protection of the body, feet, head, hands, eyes. The personnel have regular awareness-raising sessions via toolbox talks and posters in each workshop, designed to highlight good practice in accident prevention.

This project was for Colas Madagascar a reference and set up the standards in terms of safety, health and environment issues for all the other projects in the country.