Abstract: | The purpose of this document is to fulfil the requirements to get necessary environmental
clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out the project in Thundufushi
Island Resort, South Ari Atoll. The proponent of this project is Seagulls Group Pvt. Ltd.
The main rationale for the project is to enhance and upgrade the tourism product at Thundufushi
Island Resort by replenishing the beach to provide a better product for the visiting guests.
Moreover, Thundufushi Island Resort has ongoing seasonal erosion that requires to be mitigated.
This project involves ongoing beach replenishment on Thundufushi Island for the next two years
for mitigating seasonal erosion. The project will be carried out on a need basis and only the areas
experiencing erosion will be replenished.
The maximum replenishment volume that may be required for the project is estimated at about
13,500 cbm, covering all areas of the island. It is difficult to get an exact sand requirement
estimate for the next 2 years, as erosional conditions may change. It is estimated that the most
likely scenario is going to require about 5,000 cbm of sand. Two burrow area and two alternative
sites have been identified for the project. The proposed borrow area and alternative sites are
expected to yield 14,000 cbm. The dredge depth will be a maximum of 1.5 m from the existing
depths. In exceptional circumstances depths may be increased to 2.0 m. The borrow areas are
located 50 m from the registered shoreline and the alternative sites are about 160 m. Not all the
identified areas may require replenishment but has been included for approval purposes.
The borrow area had no visible live corals. The area mainly consists of rubble and fine sand.
All project activities will be in conformance to the laws and regulations of the Maldives, and
relevant international conventions that Maldives is party to. The key laws and regulations
applicable to this project are: Environmental Protection and Preservation Act, Environmental
Impact Assessment Regulation 2012 and the Tourism Act.
Significant impact associated with the components of the project; beach replenishment involves
sedimentation on the marine water quality and consequent impact on marine life, direct loss of
marine life within the project footprint and health and safety of construction workers. All these
impacts can be minimized with proper mitigation measures recommended in the report.
The main mitigation measures include carrying out sand pumping and replenishment activities
during low tide hours and calm weather, and proper supervision of all activities by qualified
personnel. The work schedule and duration will also be planned to avoid disruptive weather
conditions and to complete the replenishment activities in the shortest time possible. Continuous
monitoring to diagnose further problems has also been proposed. The alternatives evaluated for the project are dredging methods as the project involves dredging
the lagoon for materials required for beach replenishment. The use of sand pump is the preferred
option for beach replenishment work, since it is the most common, practical and cost-effective
method. The “No Puoject” oGtion has also been exGloued fou beach ueGlenishment nonetheless,
this option is not deemed preferable, given the current condition of the beach and the status of
the resort. The burrow site (alternative site) approved by EPA for the project was found to have
practical limitations and higher impacts on the marine environment. Thus, the originally
proposed site is preferred.
Monitoring plan is designed to assess any changes to the coral reef environment of the island,
coastal changes and depth variations of the lagoon area as well the marine water quality as these
are the key areas that will be impacted from this project.
The management plan for this project is designed to produce a framework for anticipated
impacts, including practicable and achievable performance requirements and systems for
monitoring, reporting and implementing corrective actions. In addition provide evidence of
compliance to legislation, policies, guidelines and requirements of relevant authorities.
In conclusion, this project has been designed in conformance to the relevant laws and regulations
of Maldives. The most significant impacts are expected to be short-term impacts on the marine
water quality, coral reef and lagoon bottom habitats. However, mitigation measures have been
proposed to adequately minimise these significant impacts |