Environmental impact assessment : tourist resort development at Kudafushi, Raa Atoll, Maldives

Abstract

Mr. Ali Zahir of H. Iruvelige proposes to develop a 106-Room (212 Beds) tourist resort on the island of Kudafushi located in Raa Atoll, Maldives. The resort will be developed as a 4-Star tourist resort mainly targeting for middle market clients. The proposed project will involve development of 71 Beach Villas, 35 Water Villas, support facilities and services for tourists and staff of the resort. Mr. Ali Zahir of H. Iruvelige, Male’ is the project initiator and developer. He has been engaged in trade business for a number of years mainly dealing with supplying of construction material, goods, oil and various other items to a number of private and government companies as well as his involvement in business includes provision of services equipment such as sewerage treatment plants, desalination plants, engines and spare parts and waste management equipment to the private sector. This EIA is prepared in accordance with the Terms of Reference (TOR) approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on 7 August 2014. It is a legal requirement that new projects having potential for environmental impacts gain environmental clearance or approval prior to construction and operation of such projects. Environmental clearance is obtained through submission and approval of EIA by Environmental Protection Agency of Ministry of Environment and Energy. The proposed tourist resort development on Kudafushi Island is estimated to cost around US$ 22 Million. The development of Kudafushi Island in Raa Atoll as a tourist resort being a development project it becomes compulsory for the developer to produce EIA in accordance with the procedures and guidelines set forward from the concerning government authority (Environmental Protection Agency of Ministry of Environment and Energy) since the project may generate adverse impacts on the environment. The development concept of Kudafushi Island as a tourist holiday maker destination is purely based on the experience of the Maldives, its people, culture, tradition, community and the lifestyle. The resort development will be blended into the island setting and the unique environment of the island and the total build-up area will not exceed 30% of the total land area in order to ensure carrying capacity limits of the island are respected. The project will be completed within a period of 18 months. Kudafushi Island is located on the inside of Raa Atoll more towards the southern and eastern inside of the atoll. The island is located at 5°30'38.83"N and 72°58'49.62"E. The Island is oval in shape oriented E-W and is found in a single reef that has similar island shape. The island is located more on the western side of the oval reef. The island has approximately 490m in length and 180m in width and has an approximate land area of 10ha. All development activities whether small or large-scale are believed to generate a number of environmental consequences and implications of which some are positive and others are negative. The most immediate and visible environmental impacts are believed to be associated during the construction stages of the development. In this regard the following environmental impacts are predicted for the construction stages of the proposed development. These include: loss of vegetation and habitats; loss of soil organisms and habitats; groundwater depletion; pollution of island environment; loss of aesthetic quality; impacts of construction work force; impacts of construction machinery on the island; impacts on the reefs from water villa and jetty construction; impacts from construction machinery operation in the lagoon. The long-term or the operation stage impacts can impose serious threats to the environment of the island due to the continuous nature of some of the activities and will be very difficult to deal with due to the complexity of certain impacts where it will be felt simultaneously on the environment during the operation of the island. The main impacts during the resort operation are predicted to be; land degradation; groundwater depletion; impacts from solid waste disposal; impacts from wastewater disposal; impacts from sewage disposal; impacts from waste oil disposal and potential oil spills; impacts from pesticides and chemicals; impacts from boat activities; impacts from tourist activities. Coral reef and island environments are highly fragile and vulnerable ecosystems, therefore, are susceptible to high degrees and magnitudes of environmental impacts. Such impacts generating from various coastal projects cannot be completely stopped neither can they be reduced or minimized unless effective management and mitigation measures as well as remediation are well placed accordingly. A number of general measures will be taken into consideration during the initial construction and operation of resort on the island. In this regard, the construction and operations of the island will be guided by Environmental Management Plan and Contingency Plan. Various alternatives in terms of locations and various project activities and methods for the development of Kudafushi have been outlined in the EIA report. Justifications for preferred options, locations and methods have been outlined. The alternatives include; alternative locations for water bungalow development, alternative construction methods, alternative resort layout as well as no development option. The main socio-economic benefit of the project to the nearby communities in Raa Atoll include creation of new employment opportunities, market for of construction material, agricultural products, fisheries products locally produced, improved local economy and improved living standards in the Atoll as well as support to development of local infrastructure. On the negative side, fishermen are concerned about losing some fishing and baitfishing grounds as introduction of tourism may put pressure on them not to use such areas for fishing. The main socio-economic benefit of the project to the nearby communities in Raa Atoll include creation of new employment opportunities, market for of construction material, agricultural products, fisheries products locally produced, improved local economy and improved living standards in the Atoll as well as support to development of local infrastructure. On the negative side, fishermen are concerned about losing some fishing and baitfishing grounds as introduction of tourism may put pressure on them not to use such areas for fishing. The overall environmental performance will be monitored by an environmental monitoring framework that will be implemented as part of the proposed tourist resort development on Kudafushi Island, Raa Atoll.