Nicaragua Canal Project Description

Abstract

The Canal de Nicaragua (Project) is a major infrastructure project with the potential to transform global trade and make Nicaragua a major center for transport and global logistics. The Project would be one of the largest civil works projects ever undertaken. This Project Description is being released by HKND to inform the Government of Nicaragua, affected communities, and other stakeholders about the current status of Project design. Engineering studies are still on-going that may affect aspects of this Project Design, as may stakeholder recommendations, but at this point, this paper describes the current Project Description. Comments on this Project Description can be submitted via email to Environmental Resources Management (ERM) at Nicaragua.Canal@erm.com. The Project facilities are described below in as much detail as is available at this stage of the Project design. The following Project Description relies heavily on preliminary engineering prepared by China Railway Construction Corporation (CRCC)/ChangJiang (overall Project technical feasibility, concept design, and engineering), MEC (earthworks strategy and engineering), and SBE/Deltares (lock design and operations, freshwater availability, and salinity management). Additional engineering design is needed to firmly quantify project impacts and finalize appropriate mitigation measures before an Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) can be completed.