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    Technical Report
    EIA for the airport development project at HAA Dhaal Kulhudhuffushi
    (2017-10) Zahid
    This environmental impact assessment was undertaken by Dr. Zahid, contracted by Maldives Transport and Contracting Company for the development of a domestic airport at Haa Dhaal Kulhudhuffushi, Maldives. According to Regional Airports, allocated budget for the project is about USD11.4 million. Kulhudhuffushi is an inhabited island located on the south of Haa Dhaal atoll. Kulhudhuffushi is one of the most populous island in the north with a population more than 9000 people. The length of the island is approximately 2.5 km and 0.89 km in width. The most significant natural feature of the island is existence of two wetland areas (Kulhi). The larger one is in the northern end and small one in the south end of the island. Most dense vegetation exists near the wetland area and eastern side of the island. Due to the high population compared to the land size, already there is pressure on the limited available land area. The project involves the development of a domestic airport with runway length of 1220m by 30m width, taxiway with length of 90m and width of 15m and an apron with length 150m and width 45m. In addition to this, a passenger terminal, a control tower and safety buildings will constructed at the Kulhuduffushi airport. Under the project, other related services also will be established at the domestic airport. According to Regional Airports, the proposed runway to be constructed to ICAO standards and will be approved by the Civil Aviation Authority of Maldives. The proposed airport development involves the clearing of about 6 Ha area of the island. In addition to this, the domestic Airport at Kulhudhuffushi is proposed to be built by reclaiming part of Kulhi and wetland area, located at the northern end of the island. This wetland area has been listed as a “environment sensitive area” due to the unique environmental features of the area. In addition to reclaiming wetland area, for building the airstrip, two areas are proposed to be reclaimed from the sea area as well (two ends of the runway will be built by reclaiming the sea area). Dredging and reclamation will be undertaken by a Trailer Suction Hopper Dredger and borrow area will be from the deep sea . Kulhudhuffushi airport development project activities (construction phase) will have considerable negative impacts on the environment and will have some positive and negative impacts during operational phase. During construction phase, the wetland area will be highly modified and vegetation will be removed from a large area. Environmental values of the environmental sensitive area will be reduced due to the vegetation clearance and reclamation. The main impact is the permanent loss of habitat for the flora and fauna and loss of terrestrial vegetation and deforestation of part of the area allocated for runway and other facilities development. Reclamation of Kulhi also will have impacts due to sedimentation and fish around Kulhi will be impacted from sedimentation. The wetland area surrounding the Kulhi acts as a natural catchment area for flood mitigation. If proper drainage system is not established, the area will experience flood impacts. Associated with reclamation of the sea area for airstrip development, main negative impact would be that of sedimentation on the nearby reef areas. Already the marine environment of the project area is not in very healthy condition. Hence, any additional activity will have far damaging impact on the marine environment. Sedimentation impact associated reclamation is considered to be direct and limited to the construction phase but can have lasting impact. The impact will be quite significant if sand bunds are built around the periphery of the reclamation area as currently proposed, as due to the conditions in the area, it is very likely the sand will get eroded on to the reef. The island might experience some socio‐ economic benefits through employment opportunities and minimising the cost of transport to Male’. Associated with the operational phase of the project, noise pollution will be elevated, aesthetic value of the environment will be reduced, restriction on the construction of multi-story buildings near the airport and generation of waste. Due to the existence of an airport (Hanimaadhoo) near Kulhudhuffushi may not outweigh the negative impacts of the project on the physical environment of the island compared to the limited positive impacts from the project. There are some among the Kulhudhuffushi island community which oppose the airport development by reclaiming the Kulhi area. Instead of Kulhi area, they had suggested to develop the airport on the eastern side of the island. However, due to space limitations, it was informed that this was not practical. Other major alternatives include developing the airport in a different nearby island without such sensitive areas. This would mean Kulhudhufushi community will have to travel by sea to access the airport and has thus been rejected by the concerned Government agencies and a decision has been made to develop an airport by reclaiming Kulhudhuffushi Kulhi area, as airport development project has been a presidential pledge. Mitigation measures for negative impacts associated with the project has been identified. The most important mitigation measure for the reclamation of the Kulhi area is creation of similar environment in another location as outlined in the regulation. This also has been pointed out in the regulation that if developmental activities to be carried out at a sensitive area, similar environment needs to be created in another location in consultation with concerned authorities. A more practical alternative is to ensure the developer undertake a program to protect, maintain and preserve an existing wetland area in the same region. In order to minimize the sedimentation due to reclamation of Kulhi and sea area, it is recommended to use of silt or sediment screens and bund walls as silt screens to cordon the reclamation area. Sheet piles, concrete blocks or geobags can be used as bunds rather than sand. To minimize impacts associated with vegetation clearance, it is recommended to remove the mature trees and coconut palms and replant in another location in the island. As some of the impacts are based on assumptions, it is important to carryout monitoring environmental monitoring during construction and operation. The proponent commits to undertake mitigation measures and monitoring program outlined in this EIA report. Monitoring will help to identify the effectiveness of the mitigation measures and take precautions to minimize any damage to the environment that may arise in the future. Baseline data collected during the compilation of this EIA report can be used for comparing data collected during monitoring period to identify any changes to the environment including changes to wetland habitat, terrestrial environment, hydrodynamics, reef structure and water quality including groundwater and sea water. Although, due to the nature of the project (proposed reclamation of the sensitive area, reclamation of the sea areas, borrow areas for reclamation and huge cost), the project is undesirable from a purely environmental perspective especially due to the impacts on the kulhi. However, considering the existing condition of the kulhi and given the obligation to better protect and preserve a similar environment in the region with a strict conservation program, the impact can be offset to an extent. Moreover, due to lack of land, the reclamation of the wetland area in Kulhudhufushi seems to be a question of when rather than if. There is political will to proceed with the project along with the backing and need of a vocal majority in the island. As this is a project that has long been delayed resulting in significant community issues, it does not seem the project will be delayed any further. Therefore, if the project is to proceed, it has to be ensured that all mitigation measures proposed in this report, especially regarding conservation of a similar environment in addition to the regular monitoring proposed should be undertaken. This is highly important to fully determine the impacts of the project, which will also be a reference for such future endeavours and plans by government and communities.
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    Environment impact assessment report for tsunami memorial monument project
    (Ministry of Home Affairs, 2006-10) Zahid
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    Technical Report
    Environmental impact assessment for beach nourishment, Anantara Kihavah Villas, Baa Atoll, Maldives
    (2013-05) Zahid; Musthafa, Amir
    This report is based on the proposed beach nourishment works in Anantara Kihavah Villas, also known as Kihavah Huravalhi. The island is located in Baa atoll, 133 away from the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport in Hulhule’. Access to the island is mainly by sea planes. The operations of the resort island are under Anantara Hotels and Resorts, which is a renowned luxurious hotel group. An Environmental Impact Assessment was necessary for the works outlined in this report as they fall under the ‘Jadhuvalu R’ of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations 2012 of the Maldives. In addition to meeting the regulatory requirements, the report would further assist the proponent and important stakeholders to make decisions in an environmentally sound manner, thereby ensuring the environmental sustainability of the project. In order to ensure a uniform volume of beach is available all around the island for its guests throughout the year, the operators have started undertaking a biannual sand pumping operation in the island recently. Beach Nourishment works at Kihavah is carried out by pumping sand from the lagoon to replenish 250m length of the eroded shoreline on the SW side. The proposed program is a continuous process for Kihavah, in order to maintain beach area available throughout the year for its guests. The process is integral in maintaining guest satisfaction and the overall quality of the resort. Sand for the nourishment is obtained from the lagoon on the SW side of the island, 70m away from the shoreline. The borrow area is 100 – 150m away from the reef edge on the SW side of the island. Alternatives, including the no project option and alternatives for the project components have been given Alternative methods are proposed, such as use of Sand filled nylon bags laid side by side perpendicular to the shoreline in the form of temporary groynes. The groyne field is proposed to be relocated depending on the seasonal variation to the long shore sediment transport. Sand will be pumped to a small extent to fill the sand bags. Further alternatives such as the use of hard engineering structures are also given, such as, creations of near shore breakwaters, rock revetments and creating feeder headlands have been looked into, but not recommended to be implemented in this environment. The overall environmental impacts of the project have been assessed using frameworks found on literature and the results indicate that the proposed project has a net positive impact. However, there are some significant impacts on the environment during the construction phase of the project and these needs to be mitigated to avoid any significant damage to the environment. Significance of the impacts and mitigation measures has been provided based on previous similar projects undertaken in the Maldivian environment and based on literature. In general, soft engineering techniques, as used for this project are favourable to the environment and it is the wish of the operators that such techniques be employed as much as possible without resorting to hard engineering solutions. Furthermore, the minor negative impacts from the project will be localised to the small lagoon in which Kihavah is located. Since there are no other islands in the lagoon, there will be no impacts on any neighbouring communities. It is recommended to continue to monitor the impacts of the proposed project by regular monitoring of shorelines and near shore currents and the changing marine environment. A two stage monitoring plan is given, which recommends monthly monitoring during the 1st year and less frequent monitoring for the next 5 years. Undertaking the monitoring, along with the mitigation measures is necessary to ensure the sustainable development of the project with minimum harm to the environment. Beach nourishment is widely regarded as an environmentally friendly method to combat coastal erosion. It is thus recommended that given the positive socio economic and environmental impacts from the project far outweighs the few negative local impacts, and since the project has major socio-economic benefits, it is advisable to allow the project to proceed as proposed.
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    Thesis
    The influence of Asian monsoon variability on precipitation patterns over the Maldives
    (University of Canterbury, 2011-01-01) Zahid
    Asian climate varies on various spatial and temporal scales and has a wide spectrum of climatic characteristics. Climate variability, especially decadal to inter-annual scale rainfall variability across Asia has gained considerable attention of climatologists over the last century due to the fact that rainfall variability is known to have caused considerable damage to southern Asian nations. Until recent, much of the existing literature on southern Asian climate focused on India and it is only recently that studies have focused on countries other than India. Although the Maldives is a nation within southern Asia (lying in the Indian Ocean southwest of India), literature on precipitation patterns over the Maldives and its connection to the Asian monsoon is lacking. This thesis examines the variability of precipitation over the Maldives in relation to the Asian monsoon, since proper knowledge of the spatial and temporal variations of precipitation is essential for managing the water resources and agricultural sector of the Maldives. Yearly and monthly rainfall across the Maldives indicates that the rainfall varies temporally and spatially. Despite spatial variability of mean annual rainfall (January-December total) showing rainfall increasing from north to south, it was found that on average the northern and southern parts of the Maldives have received less rainfall during the monsoon season (May-November). This suggests that the mean annual rainfall maximum for the Maldives occurs between central and southern parts of the Maldives during the monsoon season. The Maldives monsoon rainfall is characterised by interdecadal and inter-annual periodicities with a frequency of 12.9 and 2.5-4 years, and intraseasonal periodicities (10-20 days and 30-60 day) in daily time series of monsoon rainfall for different regions of Asia. The fact that no objective criteria previously existed to identify monsoon onset and withdrawal dates in the Maldives, the criteria developed here for defining the monsoon season objectively for this region indicates that on average the rainy season or monsoon commences between 4 May and 13 May (mean onset dates based on outward longwave radiation (OLR) index and rain and wind criteria, respectively) and terminates in late November (21 and 23 November: mean withdrawal dates based on rain and wind, and OLR index criteria, respectively) for the Maldives. The mean length of the rainy season (LRS) based on the OLR index is 204 days, the mean LRS based on rain and wind is 11 days shorter (193 days). Results also demonstrate that the earliest monsoon onset for the Asian region occurs in the south of the Maldives in April. Correlation coefficient maps generated between Maldives monsoon rainfall and meteorological parameters suggest that the most significant parameters that influence the interannual variability of the Maldives monsoon rainfall (MMR) are mean sea level pressure, surface air temperature, OLR, sea surface temperature (SST), and the zonal wind and relative humidity at various levels. Temporal consistency checks carried out for these parameters with the MMR led to the elimination of some of these predictors (which have less influence in the variance of MMR). The predictors which explained a significant amount of variance in the MMR were retained, including surface relative humidity during April (SRHAPR), 850 hPa level relative humidity during May (850RHMAY) and 500 hPa relative humidity for May (500RHMAY). These parameters were then used to formulate a regression model (using backward regression) for the prediction of Maldives monsoon rainfall. The predictors included in the model account for a significant part of the variance (76.6%, with a correlation coefficient, CC = 0.9) in MMR, indicating the usefulness of the model for medium-range prediction of MMR before the core monsoon season commences. Global scale processes such as the El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon influence the weather and climate around the globe, with ENSO considered to be one of the strongest natural phenomena influencing the climate of Asia on inter-annual time-scales. The association between the Maldives monsoon rainfall and ENSO events demonstrates that deficient/excess monsoon rainfall over the Maldives and India region is linked to the strong/moderate El Niño and La Niña events, respectively. During strong/moderate El Niño events, about 71.4% of the time the Maldives/India region experiences deficiencies in monsoon rainfall, while the Maldives/India region experiences excessive monsoon rainfall about 75% of the time during strong/moderate La Niña events. One of the regional scale processes that influence the climate of Asia is Eurasian snow cover. No previous studies have directly examined possible relationships between Eurasian snow and Maldives monsoon rainfall. The possible relationship between Eurasian snow cover (ESC) and the Maldives monsoon rainfall, explored in this research for the first time, appears to be only very weak. The results also demonstrate that the inverse relationship between the ESC and the Indian monsoon has weakened over recent decades. The correlation coefficient (-0.34) between Indian monsoon rainfall and ESC obtained for the 1973-94 period dropped to -0.18 for the 1979-2007 period. The inter-annual variability of the Indian and Australian monsoon rainfall experiences a remarkable biennial oscillation, which has been referred to as the tropospheric biennial oscillation (TBO). It is believed that the land and ocean surface conditions in March-May (MAM) over the Indo-Pacific region play an important role in monsoon transitions. The Maldives monsoon rainfall transition from relatively strong/weak to relatively weak/strong in consecutive years demonstrates a TBO connection (via a biennial tendency in Maldives monsoon rainfall). In relation to the Maldives monsoon rainfall, TBO strong years occur about 47.1% of the time, while weak TBO years occur about 52.9% of the time. Only some of the El Niño and La Niña onset years correspond to strong TBO years, with El Niño onset years (1982, 1987 and 2002) corresponding to weak TBO years, while La Niña onset years (1988 and 2000) corresponding to strong TBO years. Variability (spatial and temporal) in Maldives precipitation associated with global and regional scale processes results in flood and drought events that have downstream impacts, such as on water resources and the agricultural sector of the Maldives. Excess (wet) or deficient rainfall years identified for the period 1992-2008 indicate that the central region is most vulnerable to flooding (5 years with excess rainfall: 27.8% of the time), while the southern region is least vulnerable to both flooding (2 years with excess rainfall: 11.1% of the time) and drought (2 years with deficit rainfall: 11.1% of the time). The northern and central regions show an equal number of years with deficit rainfall (3 years: 16.7% of the time), indicating that they are equally prone to drought events. Furthermore, field survey results demonstrate that about 23, 31 and 37% households (respondents) from the northern, central and southern regions experienced flood events. About 79, 58 and 77% of the farmers from the northern, central and southern areas also experienced floods on their farms. On the other hand, field survey results also suggest that the 49-63% of the households in outer islands of the Maldives and 48-62% of farmers experience shortage of rainwater.