Environment - ތިމާވެށި
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Item Environmental impact assessment for the construction of additions at B. Landaa Giraavaru(2014-03) Systems Engineering and Marine ConsultingThe potential environmental impacts associated with the construction of Additions at Landaa Giraavaru are assessed in the present report. Landaa Giraavaru Resort is looking to upgrade its facilities with a wedding pavilion, a new line employee block and an upper floor at the management block. The wedding pavilion is required in order to provide a response to the existing tourist demand of celebrating nuptials in a separate and intimate environment. The staff buildings are required to accommodate the increasing number of employees. In order to meet the highest standards, the wedding pavilion has been designed as an overwater structure, not connected to land. Landaa Giraavaru has been developed since 2004 by Landaa Giraavaru Pvt. Ltd. as a tourist resort and is operated by Four Seasons. The proponent contracted Seamarc Pvt. Ltd. to carry out the survey and environmental impact assessment for the current project. The assessment analyses the environmental conditions at the site with regard to the proposed activities, in order to forecast the impacts. It then proposes solutions, alternatives and mitigation measures to minimize negative impacts and maximize benefits from the project. Main equipment to be used is a floating barge, concrete mixer, excavators and general construction tools operated by the resort engineering department. The present development follows the legislation, plans, policies, guidelines and international conventions outlined by the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act (EPPA) of the Maldives and the Maldives Tourism Act of Maldives. There are many stakeholders that can affect and be affected by the development projects. The project proponent has a duty to conserve the environment and the environmental consultants play a major role in informed decision making and communication of information. The MOT, MEE and EPA are responsible to implement the EIA process. Impacts to the environment are divided into two. Impacts during construction - physical and indirect impacts are predicted using survey results and past experiences - and impacts during operations-. Limitations in impact prediction are possible. Significant impacts assessed include: disturbance of sea bed, modification of the hydrodynamic regime, loss of habitats and vegetation, sedimentation due to sediment plume, noise, smell and other disturbances to habitats as well as greenhouse gas emissions.The no-project scenario will lead to the lack of updated facilities for the resort’s operation. Alternatives to the proposed project has been studied -including different locations of the buildingsfinding many disadvantages. Mitigation measures will be adopted for each of the impacts mentioned. Monitoring to determine the efficiency of the mitigation measures and environmental impact monitoring will be carried out under the supervision of environmental consultants.Item Environmental monitoring for Adaraan Meedhupparu, R. Meedhupparu(2014-03) Systems Engineering and Marine ConsultingThis environmental monitoring reviews the condition of the environment of Meedhupparu after the implementation of the Coastal Works in year 2012. The natural environment is described, assessed and compared to data from previous years. The bathymetry of the west coast was analysed and comparison drawn between the baseline and post work situation. The data accumulated since 2012 on the substrates around Meedhupparu were gathered and compared. Among all the sites rock has always been the primary substrate, (from 66.40 to 77.20%) followed by rubble (from 9.60 to 18.80%) and sand (from 1.20 to 11.60%). Coral was the fourth substrate varying between 4 and 11.60%. The evolution of the coral cover during 2012 to 2014 was assessed in selected zones. Since 2012, the general trend for sites on the west coast was of no change showing almost the same averaged coral cover.Item Environmental impact assessment : coral frame project at Makunufushi, Kaafu Atoll(2013-04) Systems Engineering and Marine ConsultingThe potential environmental impacts of the development of a coral propagation project on the island of Makunufushi operated by Cocoa Island Resort are assessed. The assessment exposes the solutions and preferred alternatives as well as mitigation measures to minimize any negative impacts whilst trying to derive the maximum positive impacts from the project. 2. It is important to be proactive in reef restoration. Therefore, the resort management wishes to enhance the aesthetic and recreational value of the property by propagating corals using a technique already demonstrated in the Maldives, the coral frames. 3. The coral frames will be deployed in the vilu, near the two northern jetties between 1 and 10 m depth and along the south-western jetty at about 2 m depth. Coral fragments will be attached by a marine biologist and these small fragments will develop into full colonies within a few years. Coral fragments from the house reef will provide a small number of fragments and the mother colonies will heal rapidly. Preference will be given to damaged colonies. 2000 frames of 1 m2 will be initially deployed, and after the first batch, the existing frames will provide fragments for transplantation in the future. The project will start as soon as approval is granted, and as this is a long term project, it could span several years before completion. 4. Makunufushi is a 620 m long island located on the south western part of the reef. The northern side of the reef is protected inside the lagoon, whereas the southern side is located in Kandooma Kandu, a major channel into the South Male’ Atoll. 5. In Kandooma Kandu, the strong current is incoming or outgoing depending on the tides. The diffracted waves from the oceanic swell reach the southern coast of the island and also the northern coast from a north-east direction. The wind waves lead to an extension of the eastern tip during the south-west monsoon and of the western tip during the north-east monsoon. 6. Photographic transects were used to assess the benthic cover of 10 sites, where 10 pictures in each transect is analyzed using 25 point randomly chosen to obtain quantitative substrate cover data of morphological characteristics of the reef community. The dominant substrate was rock (52.72±12.62%) followed by live coral (21.6±6.61%) and rubble (17.04±8.99%). The coral cover was significantly higher on the north side than on the southern part of the reef flat (27.0±7.30% vs 5.80±1.93%) and on the slope at 20 m (24.8±8.81% vs 2.4±5.54%). Furthermore, Acropora sp. seemed to dominate the northern reef (between 45 and 95% of relative coral cover) whereas Coral encrusting is the major coral category at south (between 48 and 64% of relative coral cover). 7. For the fish community survey, data was collected using the methodology outlined by FishWatch Maldives, where 3 x 15 minute fish counts were made at each site. Surveys were carried out at 4 sites. Thirty nine of the 76 FishWatch target species were recorded among 15 families. The species on the target list with the greatest density were as follows: Lutjanus gibbus (33.17%), Zanclus cornutus (8.35%) and Chaetodon collare (6.14%). On the northern side, Chaetodontidae (25%) and Serranidae (23%) were the most abundant families, whereas it was Lutjanidae (56%) and Chaetodontidae (15%) on the southern reef. 8. Disturbance to the sea bed will be minimal as coral frames will mostly be installed on a rocky substrate and will be elevated 6 feet. Coral frames are made of 12mm thin iron bars, which creates very little drag for water flow. 9. It has been noticed that coral frames attract and recruit a lot of fish life and increases the complexity of the reef. It is anticipated that this will also be the case in Makunufushi, the area eventually developing into a more productive reef. This work will directly improve the aesthetics and the reef complexity of the area, which will also improve the recreational value of the resort. 10. To avoid the loss of biodiversity among corals, a wide array of species will be tried out. The project will focus on Acropora sp. as it represents the most dominant coral family in the Maldives, but other families will also be transplanted such as Pocillopora sp., Psammocora sp. and Echinopora sp.. 11. If frames are not transplanted or pruned properly or the location is unsuitable, corals may die, though in majority of the previous projects, this has not been encountered, and the result has been found to be very positive. As possible death of fragments and donor colonies are the only problem that need to be mitigated, if necessary, they will both be monitored as part of the study. When choosing donors, priority will be given to those corals that have already been damaged by natural or anthropological activities, and eventually the corals grown on the frames will be used to provide fragments. 12. The do nothing scenario will probably lead to more decrease in coral cover, and the aesthetics of the reef will not improve. The resort may also lose some of its public relations benefits as they will not be seen as being proactive in its environmental restoration.