| Abstract: | This report is based on the proposed 1394 social housing units proposed for Hulhumale’ Phase
II. Twelve buildings in total will be built as part of the project, each 14 storeys high. The
project is being developed by Housing Development Corporation (HDC), and constructed by
23rd Metallurgical 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 is part of larger program by HDC to establish 15,000 social housing units in
Hulhumale’. Therefore, other similar EIAs have been done recently, most notably for the
7000 housing units project and 2500 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 15,000 such housing units will be
built in Hulhumale’, which 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 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
such 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. |
