Environmental impact assessment report harbour construction at Gan, Addu City

Abstract

This Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report is to fulfill the regulatory requirements under the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act of Maldives prior to the proposed harbor development at Gan Airport Island in Addu City. 2. Project proponent of the proposed harbor development project is Ministry of Housing and Environment. The contractor assigned for the project is Maldives Transport and Contracting Company Plc (MTCC). 3. The proposed development project involves development of a harbor facility at S. Gan International Airport. Under the proposed project a harbor of length 76m and width 53m will be constructed at S. Gan. The proposed harbor design incorporates the existing entrance channel near the terminal building area. Although existing entrance channel will be used, maintenance dredging will be done to deepen the entrance channel to design depth. 4. The island of Gan lies at the southern side of Gan-Hithadhoo reef, south east of Feydhoo in Addu atoll. Measuring approximately 2.7 km in length and 1.3 km in width (at maximum), the island covers an area of 2,872,244m2. The island is oriented east to west and is located at 00° 41' 37" N and 73° 09' 20" E. The proposed harbor facility will be constructed just east of the terminal building aligning to the existing entrance channel at the area. 5. The harbor design includes a 4,600m2 basin and a 76m long sheet pile quay wall. Two breakwater segments will be located at the northern side of the harbor (25m length at the western side and 84m at the eastern side. The entrance channel will have a length of 30m while the width will be 18m. The harbor basin and entrance channel will have a finished depth of -3MSL. 6. Dredge material removed from the harbor basin will be used for back filling behind the quay wall. Approximately 15,300m3 of dredged material will be removed from the harbor basin. Dredged material needed for filling the offset area is 1,500m3. The surplus material will be temporarily stocked piled near the harbor area and will be used for other related infrastructure development projects, road leveling and back filling works at Gan harbor. 7. Drainage system will be installed at the quay wall area for draining storm water, while the finished level of harbor quay wall will be 1.5MSL. 8. Since baseline data and long term monitoring data from Marine Research Centre is available, secondary available was enough to describe the existing reef health. Base line water test done for the 2008 EIA will be used as the baseline for water quality. The Entire shoreline of Gan is modified (with revetment structure, apart from a small section), therefore beach profiles were not taken. 9. Most significant impact associated with the project would be impact on the marine environment from sedimentation. Dredging and excavation often carry a heavy load of sediments increasing sediment load in the water column causing discoloration (limiting light penetration which is essential for coral growth) due to suspended sediments of the impact area for a prolonged period. 10. Since the project is a new development, major impacts envisaged are impacts to marine environment due to various components of the construction phase. Impact on vegetation is minor. The directly impacted area during the construction phase from dredging and back filling works of the reef system is less than 1% of the total reef area of the Gan-Hithadhoo reef system. 11. Mitigation measures are provided in the report for impacts that were categorized minor to moderate. Impact mitigation measures and monitoring is carried out to compare predicted and actual impacts occurring from project activities to determine the efficiency of the mitigation measures. The shoreline of Gan is modified over the years, with coastal modifications. In this regard harbor proximity area, has no natural shoreline. 12. With due consideration to main environmental components identified and the magnitude of impacts on these components from the proposed developments, the consultant concludes that the project components and designs are feasible and appropriate mitigation measures are given to correct and minimize unfavorable environmental consequences. Furthermore, the proposed project will not only cater the SAARC summit but to Fuvahmulah and Addu City community.