Environmental impact assessment for the redevelopment of the resort on A. Dh. Vakarufalhi

Abstract

• A 100 bed resort has been operating on A.DH. Vakarufalhi since 1992. It is proposed to further invest in a resort redevelopment comprising mainly 25 water bungalows, renovating the common areas and staff quarters and upgrading of the infrastructure. • The resort on this island is mostly justified by a will to extend the benefits to strengthen the property and increase the number of rooms while achieving a better standard. This will further enable to increase the overall number of beds for the country in keeping with the Second Tourism Master Plan. • The present EIA is required under the EPPA (Law no. 4/93), and the new EIA regulation confirms that such projects do require the submission of an EIA. • The total capital investment for the reconstruction phase is estimated at 10,000,000 USD to establish a 4 star resort. • The resort will be equipped with all the necessary equipment compulsory under the different circulars issued by the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, in particular a sewage treatment plant, a powerhouse with diesel generators, fuel tanks and desalination plants, as well as a solid waste management centre with an incinerator, a crusher and a compactor. • All the buildings have been designed with a setback of 5 meters or will be constructed as water structures. The jetties and water bungalows as well as the spa complex are the only structures which will be in the water. • The water necessary for the resort will be produced through reverse osmosis plants and the peak demand is estimated at 100 m3 / day. • The sewage treatment plant will be of the sequence batch reactor type, and the outlet will be located on the northern side of the island, where such an outlet has already been constructed • Green wastes will be either burnt or composted, while the food and other biodegradable wastes which would putrefy rapidly and attract pests will be disposed at deep sea on a daily basis. The remaining will be composted. All non-biodegradable material and the ashes from the incinerator will be sent to K.Thilafushi. • The peak demand of power is 350 KW, and the powerhouse will be equipped with 1x 450KW, 2 x 290 KW and 1 x 160 KW generators. The three smaller ones are already present on the island. The fuel tanks will be installed on a concrete bund, and supply will be done via a pipe laid from the supply jetty. • Fire prevention will be strictly implemented following the ISO 14000 standards. • The construction will span a period of 6 months which will be during the southwest monsoon. The resort will reopen before the subsequent high tourism season. • Vakarufalhi is the only island present on its reef system, which lies in the middle of the atoll. It faces the Digurashu Kandu on its eastern side, but is protected from the incoming swell by the nearby island of Kuda Rah. • The sand movement around the island has been drastically decreased through the implementation of breakwaters all around the island, and the beach replenishment activities contributed to the overall increase in the surface area of the island. Erosion is not a major problem in the present configuration. • The weather condition experienced is representative of the Maldives, with the alternation of the southwest and northeast monsoons. Wave energy is limited. • No sea grass is present around the island, and coral life is not great on the reef. In particular, on the eastern side. In some areas of the western side, the coral cover is good. A few coral patches of importance are present in the project area. • The threatened coral colonies will be relocated and an artificial reef serving the aesthetical, recreational and awareness aspects will be implemented. • The fish life is abundant and diverse, and there is a strong correlation between abundance and rocky substrate. • The vegetation has already been heavily altered in the past, and a lot of ornamental species are present. The foot prints of existing buildings being reutilized, the clearing requirement are limited. The most significant trees such as coconuts will be relocated. • Environmentally speaking, the most critical point is the management of the construction wastes and packaging material, and the careful implementation of effective waste management practices is a necessity. The present management of waste disposal is appropriate. • Eventually, during the operations, the main environmental concern is global with the increased emission of green house gases. • Alternatives to the projects include the do-nothing scenario, as well as different design alternatives. • The monitoring and reporting of the progress on the island will be carried out regularly by the consultants.