During the operational phase of the Canudos Wind Power Plants, BE was tasked by Voltalia to implement a preventive Lear’s Macaw Collision Incident Contingency Plan, a Basic Environmental Plan, with specific actions for the conservation of the Lear’s macaw and initiatives focused on environmental preservation and social well-being and an Integrated Wildlife Monitoring Program, to continuously evaluate the impacts on local fauna.
The Lear’s Macaw Collision Incident Contingency Plan complements the Lear’s Macaw Anti-Collision Protocol set at Phase 1 and establishes the actions to be taken if emergency situations happen during operation, such as problems with the automatic shutdown system or if injured or dead Lear´s macaws are found. The plan was tested by simulating for the presence of an injured macaw and for the presence of a dead macaw. The simulations demonstrated the team´s readiness to communicate and act towards solving an emergency. The absence of real incidents so far reflects the efficacy of the mitigation planning process initiated at the construction phase.
After one year, the Basic Environmental Plan showed positive results, highlighting the importance of stakeholder engagement for the efficacy of conservation programs. The presence of a dedicated team on site and the involvement of the local community ensured the application of conservation and mitigation actions.
The Integrated Wildlife Monitoring Program was designed to cope with International Finance Corporation standards, allowing for consistent monitoring of the impacts of Canudos Wind Power Plant operation´s on bats, terrestrial mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. The results so far show no significant impacts on local fauna, highlighting the need to maintain continuous monitoring to inform proactive adjustments of the mitigation strategies.
