Environmental impact assessment for the coastal maintenance works for Holiday Inn in K. Kandooma

Abstract

The present report is the Environmental Impact Assessment (EAI) regarding the coastal maintenance works of the Holidays Inn resort, located on Kandoomafushi, South Male’ Atoll, as the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act of Maldives (Law No. 4/93, article 5a) and the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2007 require such an assessment study before implementation of any activity that may have a significant impact on the environment. The Holiday Inn Resort has been facing coastal problems since its opening in 2009. The island is regularly subject to waves, and the large and strong waves that hit the island on 22nd of July 2010 caused important damages. Thus, different works have to be carried out in order to maintain and reinforce the integrity of the coastal protection structures: 1. Maintain and reinforce the gabion structures on the eastern and northern sides 2. Raise the existing gabion wall structure to increase protection on the eastern side 3. Reinforce the gabion wall structure to prevent beach erosion in the channel 4. Re-design the southern protection structure to improve the coastal protection 5. Install geo-tubes to prevent beach erosion in front of the restaurant 6. Pump sand to refill the beaches The main potential identified environmental impacts associated with the new developments in Kandooma are mainly construction impacts, in relation with the use of machinery (smell and noise disturbances, oil spillage risks, green house gas emission) and with the construction works themselves (temporary rise in turbidity and modification or damages to the seabed). However, the survey that was conducted in Kandooma, on 20th and 21st August 2011, showed that the construction areas are not very sensitive to these works as there are almost no living corals there. Moreover, it is expected that the works will improve the coastal protection of the island and provide better environment for the guests (wider beaches, less disturbances from waves on the shores, a small new planted island). A monitoring plan has been proposed in order to assess the impact of the works as well as to collect regular data regarding the shoreline and the erosion process over the years. Stakeholders have been consulted, particularly the council of Guraidhoo, which have been informed of the proposed works. They didn’t express objections to the project but they don’t want Holiday Inn to implement any work without prior approval from government, especially regarding the sand pumping. Holiday Inn agreed with their demands.