Abstract: | This report is based on the proposed 5000 social housing units proposed for Hulhumale’
Phase II. 40 buildings in total will be built as part of the project, each 14 storeys high. The
exact number of housing units to be developed as part of the project is 5040 units. The
project is being developed by Housing Development Corporation (HDC), and constructed
by China Nantong Sanjian Construction Group Co. Ltd, which will oversee the
development and project management including managing the EIA process.
An Environmental Impact Assessment was necessary for the works due to the large scale of
the project with high rise buildings. In addition to meeting the regulatory requirements, the
report would further assist the proponent and important stakeholders to make decisions
based on favourable environmental conditions with the main focus on sustainability. The
project also adheres to several other rules and regulations in the Maldives and has obtained
permit from HDC to proceed. HDC is a 100% government entity, which also has the
responsibility to set guidelines and oversee all developments in Hulhumale’.
The project consists of the development of 1/3 of the larger program by HDC to establish
15,000 social housing units in Hulhumale’ within the next 2 – 3 years. Other similar EIAs
have been done recently, most notably for the 7000 housing units project, 2500 housing unit
project and 1394 housing unit project. Apartments in these buildings can generally be
regarded as being targeted towards lower class members of the community, who cannot
afford commercial housings. The project will contribute to the grand plan by the
government of reducing congestion in Male’ by providing a large number of housing
opportunities in Hulhumale’. By 2019, it is projected that the new housing units would
accommodate approximately 80,000 people.
Similar to the other building EIA’s in Phase II, the existing environment at the project site
does not consist of any significant vegetation and the water test result shows normal water
quality. There are no residents living in Phase II yet and there is no other structure at the site
as well. However, there are other similar developments previously stated projects. Other
development in the land include development of the 7000 housing units, shore protection
and road construction, which is currently ongoing. During the construction stage, health and safety standards of the workers at site, and waste
generation is the major areas of concern as is the case for similar developments. With
proper planning and project management, this can be easily mitigated. Impacts on water
quality due to dewatering as identified can be mitigated by dewatering inland. Waste is the
main concern during the operational stage of the project, in addition to social issues. Since
this will be developed as a condominium with multiple tenants owning the rights of the
building, it has to be ensured that the tenants are held responsible to properly maintain the
building. Impacts that may occur due to conflicts with other developments being undertaken
simultaneously can be mitigated with proper communication and planning before project
implementation. Long term social issues are envisaged due to a large population living in a
concentrated area. Several social and legislative mitigation measures are proposed to
counter this, including greater policing activities, larger public spaces, etc. Also concerns
regarding fire safety exists. Proper fire safety measures are very important to be established
as well as additional features such as sprinkler systems in each floor. In addition to fire
safety, other impacts due to fuel storage at site and use and storage of chemicals are cause
for concern. These can be mitigated by following the fuel and chemical storage standards
and best practice methods.
Regarding alternatives, there are no viable alternatives available for the project with respect
to location, as the most suitable location had been predetermined during the planning stage.
The no project option is also not plausible at this stage and possibilities are outside the
scope of this study. Other alternatives including material, foundation type, construction
methodology are not necessarily recommended. Recommendations had been made to
proceed with the project as planned. It is recommended to dewater inland to an empty land
close to the project site after excavating the area to ensure that water is contained in the
allocated area, and will not have any negative impact on the groundwater aquifer.
An environmental monitoring plan is proposed to be carried out with 2 phases; one for the
construction stage, and one for 2 years post construction. Factors to investigate include
surveying the amount of waste generation, noise pollution, traffic flow, health and safety at
site and water quality.
The project in general has minimum impact as it is being undertaken in newly developing
land, similar to the other current developments in the area. All project specific building
related impacts highlighted in the study, including those related for fire risks, health and safety, and fuel and chemical storage and use can be mitigated. The socio-economic benefits
to Greater Male’ City from projects such as these is very high. The project would go a long
way in providing much needed additional housing opportunities, which would contribute to
alleviating the housing issues in Male’ City, and therefore mitigating the issues related to
congestion. Thus, after consideration of all these perspectives, it is recommended that this
project proceed as planned, after incorporating the mitigation measures given in this study
with the commitment to implementing the monitoring plan given.
Furthermore, proper planning and stronger legislation is required to ensure sustainability of
all these new major condominium projects and to ensure maximum benefits are reaped from
them. Building maintenance legislation needs to be strengthened to ensure such projects
provide the maximum benefits to the community with minimum risks over a long period. |