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Item Post-tsunami infrastructure rehabilitation project : rehabilitation of 6 selected harbors : social and environmental impact assessment for the rehabilitation of the harbor in Makunudhoo island, Haa Dhaal atoll(2007-11) SOGREAH Consultants; Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of a social and environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. and SOGREAH consultants of France upon request from Ministry of Construction and Public Infrastructure. The project involves the rehabilitation of the existing harbour in Makunudhoo, Haa Dhaal Atoll with improved infrastructures. This project is initiated by the government of Maldives with funding from Agence Française de Dévelopement” (AFD) as part of the Tsunami rehabilitation programme. The harbour of Makunudhoo has been damaged to various extents and requires repair and upgrading, including deepening the harbour basin, and increasing slightly the size. A detail assessment of the environmental and social conditions was assessed based on which a rehabilitation project has been proposed. This EIA has been prepared to assess the social and environmental impacts of this proposed rehabilitation project. Major environmental impacts of the project have been identified as resulting mainly from dredging and disposal of dredged materials. Dredging will be undertaken in the harbour basin and to some extent in the access channel. In view of the assessment, the environmental damages to marine resources have not been considered major due to the limited boundary of the project and also due to confined nature of the project. The impacts are likely to be felt on an estimated 5% of the lagoon and reef‐flat of that extensive reef system. These environmental impacts were assessed for both construction and operation phase of the project. Mitigation measures for these anticipated impacts have been identified and outlined in detail, including sedimentation control methods and other measures. These mitigation measures will have to be followed in order to minimize environmental damage. Stakeholder consultations were held with various groups, including the community and the client in order to incorporate the socio‐ economic components in the project. The proposed rehabilitation plans for Makunudhoo has been prepared after considering the needs and requirements from the community by assessing and incorporating the outcomes from the extensive community consultations held during the data collection stage. It is inevitable that there would be some negative environmental impacts, especially when dredging is undertaken. However, these minor negative impacts out weight the socioeconomic benefits gained by rehabilitating the harbour. As a result, a comprehensive monitoring component has been suggested which takes in to consideration, the most important elements that require regular checks. This monitoring component will be adhered and will allow the assessment of long term changes, despite the limited nature of the impact. The most important consideration is the socioeconomic impacts that have been assessed mainly as positive in nature. Not only they are positive, but most importantly in the long term. Therefore, it appears justified from a technical and from an environmental point of view, to carry out the proposed rehabilitation project if the island is to absorb the economic gains achieved by the project.Item Addendum 1 for environmental impact assessment of Hulhule-Hulhumale connecting link road development project in North Male‟, Atoll(2017-09) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings for the first addendum of the environmental impact assessment undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd for undertaking the construction of the link road project between Hulhule-Hulhumale.. The project is proposed by Housing Development Corporation (HDC). The island of Hulhumale has been an important growth centre since its development. Presently, Hulhumale is the fastest growing urban centre and has residential as well as industrial developments to a scale that has never been experienced anywhere in the Maldives. Being close to Male‟ and the airport, Hulhumale has been attracting migrants from all over the Maldives. Construction of the Male‟ to Hulhule Bridge is presently the biggest infrastructure project of its kind under construction in Maldives. This project is very much tied with the present link road as this link road will provide direct connection of Hullhumale and the bridge, ultimately making the traffic flow from Hulhumale to Male‟. This road will be constructed on the east side of the existing land mass of Hulhule airport by reclaiming a small area further west of the existing island. The proposed road will consists of three zones. The details of the link road project is given in the Environmental Impact Assessment Report which is prepared by Water Solutions in August 2017 and the reason for the preparation of this first addendum report is due the change in location of sand burrow areas. In the Environmental Impact Assessment Report it was said that the sand will be obtained from the Hulhumale‟ phase 2, phase 1 and Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL). However now that idea has been dropped out and it is now planned to obtain sand from the eastern side of Uthuru Thila Falhu and the bathymetry shows the depth varies between 40 to 60 meters approximately. The details of the geographic coordinates are given in the section project descriptions and Study Area. This lagoon has been used as a sand burrow area for previous similar projects and is estimated to dredge 410,000 cubic meters of sand from this location. The dredging project is subcontracted to the Dredging International (Cyprus) and it is estimated to complete the project in five to seven days. Environmental impacts were assessed and most of the environmental impacts of the project have been identified as resulting mainly from the coral reef damage caused by reclamation of additional land. Mitigation measures for the negative impacts have been identified and outlined in detail, especially sedimentation control methods. The most important mitigation measure is the use of bund walls in the fill areas. This EIA addendum was undertaken to assess the environmental impacts of the proposed dredging and reclamation to acquire more land for the link road construction project. Based on the assessment, it has been identified that the major impacts of the project will be felt on the marine environment during the dredging and discharging of sand. This EIA addendum report also highlights some of the studies and research work undertaken in similar environments, especially in Male‟، to understand the impacts of reclamation and construction works close to reef slope and how this knowledge can be transferred to similar environments based on the type of coastal protection methods in use. The mitigation measures are provided in the report with alternatives. It is vital to conduct the activities, during both project planning and construction phase, in line with mitigation measures emphasized in the report. Socio-economic impacts of the proposed project will be immense as direct land connection of Male‟ and Hulhumale would bring significant benefits to the general public. Connection of Hulhumale, Male‟ and the airport is a vital transportation link that would save time and money for more than 200,000 people residing in the greater Male‟ region. The environmental impacts of various projects that are currently being undertaken in the airport region have caused significant damage to reef in various areas. This project will also have its impacts, but the impacts will not be anything greater than to what the environment has already been subjected to. Therefore a comprehensive monitoring programme has been suggested which covers components of coastal and marine environment to assess how the critical components of this project will affect the environment and to what extent. It is important to follow this monitoring programme not only to comply with the regulation but also to ensure that the impacts are measures in realistic terms. Though some of the components of this project contravenes with the Dredging and reclamation regulation; the amendments brought to the regulation facilitates that this project could be implemented. Hulhule island is a special zone and Under clause 10 of the dredging and reclamation regulation, special projects are exempted. As the environmental consultants, it is our opinion that this project should be allowed to proceed as the environmental impacts of this project does not pose serious concerns to the natural environment. It is a project that has far greater socio-economic benefits than these limited environmental impacts.Item Environmental impact assessment for the construction and setup of a sewerage system in Landhoo Island, Noonu Atoll, Maldives(2017-11) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of an environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd in order to fulfill obligatory requirements of the National Environment Protection and Preservation Act, Law No. 4/93 for the proposed setup of the sewerage system (hereafter referred to as the project) in Landhoo island, Noonu Atoll, Maldives. The purpose of this EIA is to identify and minimize potential adverse environmental impacts related to this project and enhance the overall quality of the project. By examining the project location, the legal framework and the existing environmental components such as marine ecology and the socioeconomic aspects, this EIA provides useful information regarding the extent, nature and the magnitude of impacts that are likely to occur. The EIA will also help to identify the long term socio-economic benefits to the community after implementing this project. It also provides a framework for future monitoring of the environment, so that changes can be monitored and corrective measures can be undertaken. The proposed project aims to establish a sewerage collection and disposal system in the island of Landhoo in Noonu Atoll. The concept designed for Landhoo is a gravity type wastewater collection and disposal system. The existing systems are mainly based on septic tanks and small bore sewers. Without proper maintenance these systems are prone to damage and contamination of groundwater can occur. The contamination of the groundwater has occurred to the extent that it cannot be utilized for any potable use. Therefore, the current setup is not environmentally acceptable nor suitable. The sewerage system for Landhoo will be a gravity sewerage system where sloping pipelines will allow waste water from the entire island to flow to three zonal pumping stations. The sewage will be pumped from the pumping station to the treatment plant where it will be treated and discharged via a sea outfall pipeline into the sea. The sewerage system will comprise of elements of a given specification for sewer mains, cleanouts, manholes, vents, pump stations, outfall pipeline and diffuser that will ensure a 30 year design flow The sewerage system therefore comprises of the following components: a) Household inspection chambers. b) A gravity sewerage reticulation network. c) Reticulation pumping stations and pressure main system. d) Construction of a sea outfall to discharge the sewage into deep sea. The proposed project will ensure that the groundwater of the island does not get contaminated through improper sanitation systems. It will also ensure that the surrounding marine environment will improve in terms of environmental quality and will ensure pollution from sewage does not occur on the near shore environments. The project is expected to bring several positive impacts on the environmental quality of the island and the surrounding reef. Particularly, the most significant benefit would be achieved through improvement in the bacteriological quality of the groundwater. The health benefits of the project are worthy of noting as the improvement in water quality are going to bring significant health benefits to the community. Environmental & social impacts and the mitigation measures Several environmental impacts of this proposed project have been examined through a number of processes. These include consultations with the project development team, field surveys, observations and assessment, and field experience gained from similar development projects implemented throughout the country. Potential positive and negative impacts on the environment have been considered. The assessment indicates environmental impacts, both during the construction and operation stage. During the construction period, impacts are likely to occur on the marine and terrestrial environment (groundwater). Most of the impacts during the construction period are impacts related to construction waste, dewatering, disruptions to the local traffic, dust emission, damage to the reef during sea outfall construction and noise. During the operational stage of this project, there will be both positive and negative impacts. Positive impacts include the improvement of the ground water quality of the island. Negative impacts include the increased in extraction of groundwater for toilet flushing that may increase the chances of groundwater salinization at a much accelerated rate. This project does foresee some negative impacts even during the construction stage but is geared towards improving the overall environmental quality of the island, most notably the environmental health. The project is presently planned to lay the sewer pipeline along the center of the exiting road. During this process, dewatering and construction pose some challenges. Previous experience of sewer construction in the Maldives has indicated that excavation depths more than 3.5m are not recommended for conventional dewatering methods to avoid the risk of undermining and trench collapses as well as loss of structural integrity of the surrounding earth. For the purpose of the Landhoo design, the maximum depth of excavation will not exceed 3.5m as per the Design criteria and technical specifications for conventional gravity sewerage systems guideline released by the Water and Sanitation Unit of the Environmental Protection Agency (Environmental Protection Agency, 2015). Strict reference to these criteria will be followed and necessary as some streets are very narrow and congested, leaving limited space for mechanical excavation between buildings for the installation of pipelines. The lack of an approved land use plan for the island is also a draw back for Landhoo. The present design is based solely on the existing populated area in the island. There are large areas of the island undeveloped and unzoned due to lack of a proper land use plan. The island is a potential hot spot for future tourism development due to the vase natural resources (beach, mangroves and thick forests and plenty of land). Different types of developments such as guesthouses and restaurants may require grease traps to prevent large influxes of unwanted material into the sewerage network. Therefore the present design of the system has not considered these future developments and in the event of such developments, the existing system will require upgrading. Requirements may need to be specified at a policy level to counter this issue. Therefore this is a potential risk factor in this project. Despite these shortcomings the project does not pose serious threats to the natural environment (marine and terrestrial) and will directly benefit the environment and the community, both in the short and long term. Minor negative impacts with varying significance will occur as the project is implemented. They include dewatering and localized salinization, disruption to public transport, dust emissions during pipe laying work and reef damage during the process of outfall construction. The pump stations have not been placed around the periphery of the island, instead are located within the population zone. This could pose the issue of foul odour in the event of a system failure whereby the foul odour abatement mechanism is affected. Incorporating the pump stations in the populated areas is a necessity and this design factor will enhance the functioning of the overall system. The project will benefit the community and the island in the long term. It is important to ensure that the project implementation is carried in a sustainable manner and in such the sewerage system can be maintained in a cost effective manner as and when required. It is therefore in the opinion of the consultant that the project does not foresee significant negative environmental impacts and should be allowed. Although the project will benefit the community, the proposed design has a number of disadvantages. Construction of pump stations underground on the streets is seen as a design issue that could have operational difficulties. Instead, the pump stations could be located within the residential block boundary with a small plot of land allocated for the pump station. Selection of sites can be focused on places such as mosque, symmetry and from other public buildings or plots of land. With the present design, a number of operational difficulties are anticipated. Experience from similar systems setup elsewhere in the Maldives have been studied and reviewed for this project. The reviews and experiences from these systems are not in favor of the present design and this is something that needs to be considered before undertaking the project. Sanitation systems must be both environmentally and socially friendly and acceptable. As important as the design is the operation and maintenance. Operation and maintenance should be viewed as a key sustainable aspect of similar projects. No matter how good a design is, the sustainability and acceptability will depend on how good the system functions in the operational period. With the pump stations being located on the road itself, there are a number of such difficulties which are equally as important as the engineering design aspects.Item Addendum 2 environmental impact assessment for the reclamation and expansion at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, Hulhulhé, Kaafu Atoll(2015-09) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of an addendum that carried out for the environmental impact study (EIA) which was carried out by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. at the request of Maldives Airports Company Limited in July 2014. This EIA Addendum 2 report covers for changes that had been made to the reclamation component of the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) expansion project. The report also covers proposed 7.1 m wide road development on southern end of the island and development of a 4.84 km sewerage collection, treatment and disposal system via 495m ocean outfall as part of the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport expansion and modernisation project. Refer to the Environmental Impact Assessment for the Proposed Expansion and Reclamation at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (2015) for the details of the project. This EIA report has been approved by EPA. It is not seen that any significant environmental impacts would be due to the changes that had been brought to the reclamation component, addition of the road and sewerage system as part of the development, other than those outlined in the Environmental Impact Assessment for the Proposed Expansion and Reclamation at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (2015). The project involves inevitable negative environmental impacts to the natural environment of the island.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed agriculture development project at Lh. Lhohi(2016-08) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of a social and environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. at the request of Frozen Lemons Pvt Ltd. This EIA report covers agriculture development project at Lhohi, Lhaviyani Atoll. Lhohi is located on the southern side of Lhaviyani Atoll. This island is leased to Frozen Lemons Pvt Ltd by Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture. Frozen Lemons is the proponent of this project. Frozen Lemons had acquired substantial knowledge and information about commercial agriculture and officials of the company had travelled to neighbouring countries and visited different agriculture projects to gain more experience and information on different agriculture businesses which could be development in islands of Maldives. The project is proposed in Lh. Lhohi. The vision is to establish agriculture in Lhohi which ensure commercial and environmental sustainability. The main aim of this agricultural project is to lessen import of agriculture products to meet the local demand. Work is planned for sustainable agrofarming ensuring the use of environment friendly technology. Under this project, fertilizers will be made using the waste on the island itself and different types of fruits and vegetables will be grown. Agriculture on the island will be done in three main ways. It will be done directly on land, in greenhouses and using hydroponic technology. Water for the crops will be of two sources: harvesting rainwater and desalination using seawater. The Drip Irrigation System will be used for water conservation and will be the main system for watering the plants. The project will develop the necessary infrastructure in the area of power, water, sewage and wastewater to make the proposed agriculture project sustainable. The project also involves developing accommodation and living areas for the researchers and famers on the island. The EIA was undertaken to assess the environmental and social impacts of this project. Based on the assessment, it has been identified that the major impacts of the project will be felt on the terrestrial environment. Lhohi is not a large island that has been included in the EPA’s Environmental Sensitive Areas list due to the small mangrove ecosystem found on a small area of the island. The development on the island would be carried out by leaving a buffer from the mangroves areas. This would significant reduce the impacts on the mangroves found the island due to the proposed agriculture development on the island. Moreover, there will be impacts on marine environment from jetty constructions. During the operational stage, environmental concerns are much less and are associated with energy, water, and waste and wastewater management. The mitigation measures are provided in the report with alternatives. It is vital to conduct the activities, during both construction and operational stage, in line with mitigation measures emphasized in the report. Socio-economic impacts of the proposed project will be creation of job opportunities in the atoll and development of the agricultural industry in the country. This project will create enormous economic opportunities both in the construction and operational stage through creation of both short-term and permanent jobs and business opportunities especially for the locals at Kurendhoo. This project will introduce and promote the development of agriculture production systems on commercial scale enabling Maldives to provide additional avenue for employment and income generation. Towards the end of the report, a monitoring programme has been suggested which covers components of terrestrial, coastal and marine environment. It is important to follow this monitoring programme not only to comply with the regulation but also to ensure that the impacts are measures in realistic terms.Item Environmental impact assessment the road development project at ADH. Mahibadhoo(2015-10) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of a social and environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. at the request of Maldives Road Development Cooperation. This EIA report covers road development project at Mahibadhoo, Alifu Dhaalu Atoll. This project would undertake total length of the roads that would be 2.9 km. Mahibadhoo is one of the islands in a group of islands that government has selected to undertake the road project implemented by Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure. Road Development project is implemented at islands where there is a huge demand for residential and commercial land. The proposed project would help to improve the living condition of the island and facilitate the focus island development at the selected island. Environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the project were assessed. The road developed and associated work with the project would have significant impacts on the island of Mahibadhoo. The impacts of the project result mainly from vegetation removal and excavation of the harbour basin to borrow the backfill material to level the road surface and levelling work carried out at the roads. The impact of the excavation activities would be of sedimentation. This impact is considered to be minor and short-term. The implementation of the project and paving the road surface would have socio-economic benefits to the central region of the Maldives. The socio-economic benefit outweighs the negative impacts of the project on the physical environment of the Mahibadhoo. Mitigation measures for these anticipated impacts have been identified and outlined in detail, including sedimentation and stagnation control methods and measures for minimizing negative effects of generation of waste. These mitigation measures will have to be followed in order to minimize environmental damage. The details of the project have been established based on the landuse plan that had been developed for Mahibadhoo. Alternative designs and technologies have been investigated for the different components of the project. However, the present project design seems to be a feasible option in terms of costs, durability and safety. An environmental management plan with environmental monitoring has been developed including the most important elements that require regular checks. This monitoring component need to adhere to and would allow assessing the changes due to the road development project. Although the project involves inevitable negative environmental impacts, such impacts are predicted to be not severe as to not undertake the project in accordance with the landuse plan developed for the island. The project is justifiable in light of the socio-economic conditions and anticipated benefits resulting from the project, which seem to outweigh the negative environmental impacts.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed Blue’s 300 apartments at Hulhumalé(2014-08) Water SolutionsEIA report has been prepared to assess the environmental and social impacts of constructing 300 housing units at Hulhumalé of Kaafu Atoll. This project will be implemented by Noomadi Resort & Residences Anstalt for Maldives Police Services. The land areas identified for the housing project has no major tree and hence there will be no tree clearing as part of the project. The project is part of the Government commitment to provide affordable housing to people of the Maldives. The project aims to build 300 housing units which can accommodate 300 families of Maldives Police Service. All activities of the project will be closely monitored by site supervisors to be identified by Noomadi Resort & Residences Anstalt. This is mainly to avoid any environment and social issues. A close relationship and open communication need to be established to avoid any future disagreements and social issues during execution of the project work with the Hulhumalé community. The most significant impacts of the project will be resulting from the construction waste that would be generated as part of the project. As a mitigation measures, construction waste would be managed in accordance with the waste management guidelines issued by Environmental Protection Agency. The construction waste generated at the island would be collected and temporarily stored at designated area. The collected waste then will be transported to Thilafushi for final disposal. This report will highlight major findings and predicted impacts of the proposed housing project. The report is developed in consultation with project proponent and in accordance with Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation. An environmental management plan with environmental monitoring has been developed including the most important elements that require regular checks. This monitoring component need to adhered to and would allow to assess the changes due to the implementation of the project. Although the project involves inevitable negative environmental impacts, such impacts are predicted to be not severe as to not undertake the project in accordance with the master plan. The project is justifiable in light of the socio-economic conditions and anticipated benefits resulting from the project, which seem to outweigh the negative environmental impacts.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed SIFCO apartments at Hulhumalé(2014-11) Water SolutionsThis EIA report has been prepared to assess the environmental and social impacts of constructing 300 housing units at Hulhumalé of Kaafu Atoll. This project will be implemented by NOOMADI Resorts and Residences Anstalt for Maldives National Defence Force. This report highlighted major findings and predicted impacts of the proposed housing project. The report is developed in consultation with project proponent and in accordance with Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2012 and Environmental Protection Agency. The land areas identified for the housing project has no major tree and hence there will be no tree clearing as part of the project. The project is part of the Government commitment to provide affordable housing to people of the Maldives. The project aims to build 300 housing units which can accommodate 300 families of Maldives National Defence Force. Under this project have two bed rooms and three bed rooms would be developed. The project would be implemented at Lot No: 11490, 11491 and 11492. The total plot area for the developed is 4,922.22 m2. The total area that would be allocated for the residential use would be 44,989.32 m2 and commercial use would be 3,819.43 m2. All activities of the project will be closely monitored by site supervisors to be identified by Noomadi Resorts and Residences Anstalt. This is mainly to avoid any environment and social issues. A close relationship and open communication need to be established to avoid any future disagreements and social issues during execution of the project work with the Hulhumalé community. The most significant impacts of the project will be resulting from the construction waste that would be generated as part of the project. As a mitigation measures, construction waste need be managed in accordance with the waste management guidelines issued by Environmental Protection Agency. The construction waste generated at the island would be collected and temporarily stored at designated area. The collected waste then will be transported to Thilafushi for final disposal by the contractor. An environmental management plan with environmental monitoring has been developed including the most important elements that require regular checks. This monitoring component need to be adhered and would allow to assess the changes due to the implementation of the project. Although the project involves inevitable negative environmental impacts, such impacts are predicted to be not severe as not to undertake the project in accordance with the Hulhumale development master plan. The project is justifiable in light of the socio-economic conditions and anticipated benefits resulting from the project, which seem to outweigh the negative environmental impacts.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed redevelopment of Helengeli Island Resort, North Male’ Atoll, Maldives(2014-09) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of an environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. for the proposed redevelopment of Helengeli Island Resort in North Male‟ Atoll. The redevelopment of Helengeli resort is expected to increase the number of rooms, facilities and improve the standard of service. The island is situated at geographic coordinates 73°33'44.66"E,4°38'0.53"N, on the north-east rim of north Male‟ Atoll on its own reef. This reef system comprises of Helengeli island only. The reef is oriented in north-east to south-westerly direction. On either side of the reef are two channels both on the north and south. On the east, the reef is exposed to swells, winds and waves from the Indian Ocean creating harsh conditions on the eastern side of the island. The reef on the south of the island is a very large reef with an approximate length of 2.7 miles or 4.38 kilometers. There is a very small coral islet formed on the north edge of this reef which is uninhabited. Helengeli island is very narrow in general and some areas, especially towards the centre, is very narrow. Despite this, there are considerable amount of large mature trees in the island. The coastal vegetation in most areas comprise of Magoo and Kuredhi trees. The reef flat on the southern side measures approximately 150 meters from the shoreline to the reef slope at its widest point and 97 meters on the north side at its widest point. The island takes up more than 60 percent of the reef area which leaves very limited space for over water developments. In addition to this, most part of the north-east, east and south-east areas of the lagoon cannot be utilized for any over water development due to strong waves. These areas are exposed without any protection from a reef nor any island from the east, which makes it very challenging for over water developments. Helengeli Island Resort at present has 50 rooms in operation and with the upgrading works, the number of rooms will increase to 98. This includes 30 new lagoon villas (semi water villas) both on the north and the southern side. The remainder will be beach villas developed on the island itself. The island has not undergone upgrading works in the past 15 years and this redevelopment is expected to bring considerable change and upgrading to the built environment, environmental infrastructure and service quality. The proposed redevelopment consists of the following new space / buildings: New reception / tea house. 68 Beach villas 30 lagoon villas (semi water villas) Beach grill Spa treatment rooms Dive school / water sports Restaurant extension Main kitchen extension Senior staff accommodation Junior staff accommodation Sewage treatment plant Recycle house Water tank Fuel tanks The redevelopment aims to demolish some structures and build new structures in the same foot print; refurbish some structures and construct completely new structures. As the island does not have a lot of space, the existing building space will be utilised and the project therefore does not anticipate vegetation clearance or removing trees. A tree count undertaken in August indicates 291 mature coconut trees in the island, none of which is expected to be removed. However, small scale vegetation clearing is expected mainly through cutting overgrown branches and bushes to make construction easier. The redevelopment does not include any coastal protection and beach nourishment at this stage. There are certain areas around the island where beach has been managed using a combination of coastal protection structures. There is also a dredged harbour or a mooring basin with quay walls and landing areas which will be adequate for the construction period even to load and offload heavy machinery. Therefore these infrastructures will be used during the construction period, eliminating the need to dredge a harbour or channels for mobilization. Environmental impacts of the proposed redevelopment works have been examined through a number of processes. The report has identified that the impacts of the redevelopment process will mainly be felt on the terrestrial environment. There will also be impacts on the marine and coastal environment impacts are expected to be positive. Impacts on the marine environment will be felt through sedimentation and siltation caused by the construction activities on the lagoon during this period, most importantly during the construction of lagoon villas close to the beach. Impacts on the coastal environment will be felt as a result of developing lagoon villas on the eroded areas of the beach, which is expected to improve the conditions in these areas over the long term. Fortunately, the lagoon where the new lagoon villas will be developed does not contain much live corals and hence, direct damage to live corals is not expected during this activity. On the overall, the redevelopment process will have the greatest impacts during the construction period. Terrestrial impacts are not going to besignificant, as there will be very little or no vegetation clearance to make way for new structures. The resort‟s redevelopment plan have been designed and developed to upgrade the existing guest room that is by demolishing old rooms and building new rooms in the same foot print. This is the same for back of house buildings also. It is anticipated that environmental Impacts will be felt with the increasing demand for water and energy production. With the additional facilities and services offered, there will be a higher demand for energy. Production of increased amounts of water will require more energy and thus there will be an overall increase in the emission of greenhouse gases. Nevertheless, the bulk of the impacts is expected during the construction period. Several mitigation measures have been identified including working in low tide hours, proper supervision and adjusting buildings to avoid cutting any mature trees. In addition, limiting construction to the minimum time period possible and a management and monitoring plan has also been identified as mitigation measures. These measures are proposed in order to mitigate the impacts on the coral reef and generally the marine environment. Finally, the report provides a conclusion nad outlines the alternatives, the mitigation measures and the environmental monitoring that will be undertaken in Helengeli Island Resort Resort.Item Environmental impact assessment for the construction of the harbour in Magoodhoo, Faafu Atoll, Maldives(2014-07) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. upon request from Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure for the proposed harbour development project in F. Magoodhoo. F. Magoodhoo is located on the southern rim of Faafu atoll and has a population of 781. Majority of the island community depend on fishing as their main economic activity. Until now, the island has no modern harbour facility and is one of the most crucial issues faced by the island community. This project is initiated by the government of Maldives as part of its national programme to provide safe harbour to each and every inhabited island of Maldives. Presently, lack of a harbour is an obstacle for the economic expansion and diversification of the island. Lack of a harbour in Magoodhoo has many developmental obstacles for the island. At present the only way to access the island is by means of a damaged jetty on the north side of the island. For mooring the vessels, fisherman and other vessel owners use deep lagoons within the island reef system. In rough weather, getting in out of the island is almost impossible. Some of the vessels have to go to a nearby harbour for mooring in unfavourable weathers. This is the dilemma the islanders have faced until now. The construction of the harbour includes the following: Construction of a quay wall on inner side and both ends of the harbour using Tshaped concrete blocks. Deepening the harbour basin to 3 meters at mean sea level. Dredging of the harbour basin which is 506 feet long and 214 feet wide. Construction of 689 feet long breakwater with rock boulders. Reclamation of the area between the harbour and shoreline by using dredged material from the harbour basin. Dredging of an access channel to a depth of 3 meters at Mean Sea Level (MSL). The dredging work for the project is expected to generate around 33,239 m3 of dredged material. The dredged material will be used for reclamation purpose. A 22 m long revetment would be constructed on east side of both ends of the harbour to protect the reclaimed area from erosion. This project will be followed by a reclamation project proposed by the island council (scope of which is not covered in this EIA). The proposed project is therefore geared towards developing a third generation harbour on the north side of the island with an entrance channel and breakwaters to protect the harbour basin. Since, the harbour is proposed to be constructed on the lagoon, the area between the harbour and island shoreline will be reclaimed using the dredged material from harbour basin. The harbour is expected to ease many of the challenges faced by the islanders, especially for the vessel owners, as safe mooring will be guaranteed. A detail environmental assessment was undertaken for this project and the findings are reported in this EIA. This EIA has been prepared to assess the social and environmental impacts of this proposed project. As this is a completely new development, significant negative impacts on the island marine environment will be felt through permanent habitat modification and direct destruction of the marine environment. Similarly, the coral reef will be directly and indirectly impacted for this project. As the same time, the socio-economic impacts of this project will be significantly felt on a very large scale and not necessarily for the islanders only. In such projects, environmental damage cannot be avoided and hence the goal should be to undertake the works in the most least damaging manner. As a large area of the marine and coastal environment will be affected, careful implementation of the mitigation measures and adopting methods which minimizes the damage will be the key for this project. Most of these measures are the best practice guidelines and protocols that does not require sting financially to implement. Stakeholder consultations were held with various groups including island council and the client in order to incorporate the socio-economic components in the project. Stakeholders, most importantly the island community representatives were the most significant as they have the maximum knowledge and experience from the daily difficulties faced due to lack of a harbour. The development of the harbour in Magoodhoo will have significant environmental impacts to the island, most of which will be felt on the coastal and the marine environment. The project takes place in an environment that has not been modified or damaged previously. However, natural erosion of the island has been affected to the southern area of the island. The biggest threat to the islands when a harbour is developed is the disruption it causes to natural movement of the beach. Social impacts of this project will be significant and will benefit the community as well as the region. The development of a harbour in Magoodhoo is expected to bring many beneficiaries to island community. Although the project involves inevitable negative impacts, the project is justifiable in light of the socio-economic conditions and anticipated benefits resulting from this project. Therefore, it is justifiable to undertake the project.