October 14, 2020

Managing risks and impacts of international development projects

Infrastructure projects are essential, for example, to bring safe drinking water to populations that until now have been without, to bring cleaner and more reliable forms of energy to regions unable to produce their own, and to open up international gateways that bring a new socio-economic dynamic to evolving countries. But their risks and impacts must be managed, which is where health & safety management systems come in.

Health, safety, environmental and social management systems (HSES MS) help minimise the impact of large, vital projects that themselves support growth through the development of new products, services, markets and investors. These systems reduce risk and liabilities, help manage stakeholder needs and expectations, and enhance profitability through cost reduction and operational efficiency.

Ramboll has considerable experience in the review, design, development, implementation, improvement and maintenance of HSES MS that meet international standards, including those required by international financial institutions. Our experts have provided HSES MS services to major infrastructure projects globally, covering all stages of a project’s lifecycle from design to construction, through to operations and decommissioning.

Drinking water projects

Ramboll recently supported a global developer, Owini International of Mitrelli Group, by developing the environmental & social management system (ESMS) for a drinking water system project in Ivory Coast. The project will bring drinking water to communities in 95 remote areas and is part of the wider Water For All initiative.

Ramboll supported the developer to meet international standards, required as part of project financing. In addition to the ESMS, Ramboll plans to provide training and undertake audits to monitor the implementation and effectiveness of the management system during construction.

Energy projects

Recently Ramboll was selected by Gaz-System to assist with the construction of a 275km-long offshore natural gas pipeline from Denmark to Poland via Swedish maritime territories. The Baltic Pipe offshore pipeline is a strategic gas infrastructure project with the goal of creating a new gas supply corridor in Europe. Construction will include the development of landfalls in Denmark and Poland as well as logistic hubs in Denmark and Germany. Ramboll's primary role, in partnership with the client, is to review and provide oversight of the engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractor's environmental performance. This will include review of environmental obligations (including permit conditions), preparation and update of environmental commitments and legal registers, development of a construction environmental management plan, development of contractor performance reporting and review processes, review of contractor documentation, establishing an incident management procedure, and undertaking environmental compliance reviews, audits and inspections throughout the construction phase.

Logistics projects

Since 2016, Ramboll has provided HSES MS capacity-building support to Nador West Med (NWM) for the construction of deep-water port infrastructure in Betoya Bay in Morocco. The project is part of a wider development plan to reduce regional disparities and support economic development. The port and associated free zone aim to create 100,000 jobs.

Ramboll supported NWM in the implementation of the environmental and social action plan requirements agreed with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), as part of its financing terms. Ramboll’s support programme comprised the systematic application of the following methods: workshops and training, provision of support tools, document review, ongoing coaching and targeted audits to monitor performance during implementation.