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Item Environmental impact assessment for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Mulah Island, Meemu Atoll, Maldives(2016-11) 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 Mulah island, Meemu 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 socio-economic 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 an island wide sewerage collection and disposal system. At present household wastewater is disposed on site by the use of septic tanks and this has contributed to the contamination of the groundwater to a state that it cannot be utilized for any portable use. The project therefore involves the following components: a) Installation of an island wide sewage collection network. b) Installation of new catch pits for each house / institution. c) Construction of pump stations in strategic locations to collect and convey raw sewage from the households and to the final disposal station. 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 resulting from potential private outfall connections in the future that may arise as a result of groundwater pollution from septic tanks. 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 also worthy of noting as the improvement in water quality are going to bring significant health benefits to the community. At present, the people of the island risk contracting sin and water borne diseases due to the potential contamination of groundwater that escalates to various levels throughout the year. Children are particularly at higher risk and continue to pose a threat to human development and well-being of the islanders. Environmental impacts and 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) as the proposed project does necessitate construction of an outfall. Most of the impacts during the construction period are impacts related to construction waste, dust emission, damage to the reef during sea outfall construction and noise as well as disruption to the daily life of islanders due to construction activities. 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. 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 does not pose serious threats to the marine or terrestrial environment 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 such as dust emissions during pipe laying work and some reef damage during the process of outfall construction. The pump stations have also been placed around the various locations in the island, some requiring removal of trees while others does not foresee much tree removal. 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.Item Environmental impact assessment for road development project at R. Dhuvaafaru(2016-10) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of a social and environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. at the request of Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure. This EIA report covers road development project at Dhuvaafaru, Raa Atoll. This project would undertake total length of the roads that would be 3.2 km. The roads will be built with pavements on either side of the roads on wider roads. A pavement will be one side on narrower roads. The pavements would have 3 service ducts which can be used for provision of the utility services to the island. The surface of the pavements will be of precast concrete blocks and driving surface would be of asphalt. Drainage areas are provided between pavement and driving surface and provision for tree planting is given on regular intervals. Dhuvaafaru 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. Dhuvaafaru is the most populated island in Raa Atoll. After the 2004 Tsunami R. Kandholhudhoo people was relocated to Dhuvaafaru in 2008. 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 Dhuvaafaru. The impacts of the project result mainly from vegetation removal and excavation of the harbour basin and beaching area 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 island. The socio-economic benefit outweighs the negative impacts of the project on the physical environment of the Dhuvaafaru. Mitigation measures for these anticipated impacts have been identified and outlined in detail, including sedimentation 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 Dhuvaafaru. 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 construction of a harbor in Filladhoo, Haa Alifu Atoll, Maldives(2016-12) 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 HA. Filladhoo. HA. Filladhoo is located on the eastern rim of Haa Alifu atoll and has a population of 576 (Census, 2014). Majority of the island community depend on fishing and agriculture 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 Filladhoo has many developmental obstacles for the island. At present the only way to access the island is by means of jetties on the west side of the island. For mooring the vessels, fisherman and other vessel owners use deep lagoon areas of the island. The construction of the harbour includes the following: Construction of 312 m quay wall on inner side and both ends of the harbour using T-shaped concrete blocks. Deepening the harbour basin to 3 meters at mean sea level. Dredging of the harbour basin which is 650 feet long and 250 feet wide. Construction of 298 m long breakwater with rock boulders. Reclamation of the area between the harbour and shoreline and both sides of the harbour by using dredged material from the harbour basin. Dredging of an access channel to a depth of 3 meters at Mean Sea Level (MSL). Construction of 5m wide pavement along the quaywalls. Construction of revetments to protect the proposed reclamation areas. Clearance of an access road to the harbour. Road length is approximately 345m and 14m wide. The dredging work for the project is expected to generate around 50,000 m3 of dredged material. The dredged material will be used for reclamation and road levelling purpose. The proposed project is therefore geared towards developing a third generation harbour on the south west side of the island with an entrance channel and breakwaters to protect the 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. 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. Indirect impacts can also be felt on the mangrove area of Filladhoo without proper measures. Similarly, the coral reef and lagoon area 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 large finances 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 Filladhoo 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 area of the island. Social impacts of this project will be significant and will benefit the community as well as the region. The development of a harbour in Filladhoo is expected to bring many beneficiaries to island community. Proposed mitigation measures need to be taken to minimize or avoid the proposed impacts. Proper measures need to be taken to protect and preserve the mangrove area near the harbour location. Although the project involves inevitable negative impacts, the project is justifiable in light of the socioeconomic conditions and anticipated benefits resulting from this project.Item Environmental & social impact assessment for the proposed construction of sewerage system in Maamigilli, Alifu Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives(2016-11) Water SolutionsThis EIA report is prepared for the construction of a sewerage system in the island of Maamigilli Alifu Dhaalu Atoll. The project will be implemented by MWSC. The proposed project aims to establish a sewerage system where household wastewater gets collected in to a sewer network and gets discharged into the open ocean via an outfall. Surveys and assessments were done in Maamigilli to identify the best possible option and suitable system including evaluating alternatives to the project. The proposed system will ensure that the groundwater of the island does not get contaminated through improper sanitation systems. It will also ensure that the groundwater and the surrounding marine environment will improve in terms of environmental quality and will ensure pollution from sewage does not occur. These measures are expected to bring multiple positive impacts to the health of the people other than improving the environmental quality. Various alternatives to the proposed system were also studied. One of the options identified include treatment of sewage and the use of vacuum systems. Based on the assessment, these alternatives were assessed to identify their potential application in Maamigilli against the proposed system. Advantages and disadvantages of these options have also been discussed in the report. The island‟s existing sanitation is developed on traditional septic tank system. All the houses have toilet facilities which have onsite septic tanks. The ground water of the island is been used for toilet flushing and for purposes other than drinking. The main portable water is from the private water tanks in individual houses or from the community water plant. Desalination plant is operated in the island by Villa Shipping and Trading Company. The assessment reveals that the project can be implemented without significant impact on the natural environment of the island. The impact area due to the implementation of the project would be the loss of vegetation from the construction of the pump station, excavation and laying of the sewer network and the reef environment due to the construction of the outfall. These impacts would be unavoidable as trees have to be cleared from the site before construction can begin for the pump station. The outfall needs to be properly anchored to hard substrate of the reef. Therefore, the most significant direct impacts are going to be resulting from the loss of flora and fauna from the area where the pump station as well on the marine environment where outfall will be constructed. The Maamigilli Island Council will provide compensation to the owners of the coconut palms or trees that need to be removed from the land allocated for pump stations. The proponent and contractor should avoid any project activity that will directly impact the MPA of Maamigilli. Waste water outfall should be monitored in regular basis to study the impact area. The proponent of the project shall develop necessary plans and implement the mitigation measures in association with relevant agencies to mitigate the predicted impacts. Several alternatives for the proposed project have been identified and they are discussed in detail. For this project, proposed concept is the best option. The current concept is designed after an initial survey by MWSC. Outfall location is proposed after the stakeholder consultation and EIA survey. All activities of the project will be closely monitored by Maamigilli Island Council. A monitoring plan is developed for this project. It is very important to adhere this monitoring program to study whether the projected impacts. In light of this assessment, the proposed project has been found to have more positive than negative impacts, both environmentally and socially. It is crucial for the client to manage the project in consultation and assistance with other stakeholders if the environmental impacts are to be minimized.Item Environmental impact assessment for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Dhiggaru Island, Meemu Atoll, Maldives(2016-11) 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 Dhiggaru island, Meemu 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 socio-economic 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 an island wide sewerage collection and disposal system. At present household wastewater is disposed on site by the use of septic tanks and this has contributed to the contamination of the groundwater to a state that it cannot be utilized. There is also a private sewer main pipes laid in some roads which outfalls into the shallow lagoon by gravity. This is a basic system of pipes that was constructed at the community level, but without any proper assessment or design. The project therefore involves the following components: a) Installation of an island wide sewage collection network. b) Installation of new catch pits for each house / institution. c) Construction of pump stations in strategic locations to collect and convey raw sewage from the households and to the final disposal station. d) Construction of a sea outfall. 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 groundwater quality. The health benefits of the project are also worthy of noting as the improvement in water quality are going to bring significant health benefits to the community. Various alternatives to the proposed system were also studied. One of the options identified include deep bore well disposal and gravity systems among others. Based on the assessment, these alternatives were assessed to identify their potential application in the island against the proposed system. 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) as the proposed project does necessitate construction of an outfall but avoids large scale construction activities such as clearing trees. Most of the impacts during the construction period are impacts related to construction waste, dust emission, damage to the reef during 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 and also the quality improvement of the near shore environment. Negative impacts include the increased in extraction of groundwater for toilet flushing. This project does not foresee many negative impacts even during the construction stage and is geared towards improving the environmental quality of the island, most notably the environmental health. The project does not pose serious threats to the marine or terrestrial environment and will directly benefit the environment and the community, both in the short and long term. Nevertheless, negative impacts with varying significance will occur as the project is implemented. Based on this assessment, it is advised to undertake this project.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 for the reclamation and expansion at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, Hulhulhé, Kaafu Atoll(2014-07) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of an environmental impact study (EIA) undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. at the request of Maldives Airports Company Limited. This EIA report covers for reclamation and Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) expansion project. The reclamation component is to reclaim additional 86 hectares of land at Hulhulhe and undertake coastal protection. The eight hundred and sixty five thousand cubic meters of the fill materials for the reclamation would be borrowed using Trailing Suction Hopper Dredger (TSHD) from borrow sites to be identified by dredging contractor. Reclaimed land would be projected with 9,483 m of coastal protection using various materials. The INIA expansion component includes development of second runway east of existing runway, development of a new terminal building on western side of the island and creation of a new fuel farm. The Ibrahim Nasir International Airport is located on the Hulhulé Island which is formed on a large reef in the south eastern side of North Malé Atoll. The Hulhulé Island was reclaimed and constructed in year 1964 for creation of airport and now services the majority of visitors to Maldives. Hulhulé Island is located at about 6km North-East of Male’. Hulhumalé and Farukolhufushi islands are also located in the same reef system. The expansion and modernization Project will increase both the number and efficiency of the aircraft gates, and increase and reallocate the terminal building to achieve higher effective capacity. The project aims at optimizing the airport landside and airside areas and thereby limiting the environmental impact. The sustainable designing approach is to have an efficient runways & taxiway system design along with modern architecture for the International Airport. Environmental impacts of the project were assessed. The reclamation of the shallow lagoon around Hulhulhe would have an impact on the marine environment of the island however, it is not seen that this would be an irreversible impact on the island environment. The impacts of the project result mainly from reclamation work result from sedimentation and changing morphology of the island. During dredging and reclamation activity, impact of sedimentation on inhabited islands, nearby resort and diving sites are a concern that needs to be addressed. The reclamation and coastal protection of reclaimed land would facilitate to undertake the expansion project at INIA. This project would have socio-economic benefits to the Maldives. The socio-economic benefit outweigh the negative impacts of the project on the physical environment of the Hulhulhe especially allowing more land to further expand and develop the island as a modern international airport. Mitigation measures for the 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 physical development plan that had been developed for INIA. Alternative locations and alternative designs have been investigated for the different components of the project. Further studies need to be carried out to weigh whether the present project design is feasible in terms of costs, durability and safety. An environmental management plan with environmental monitoring has been developed including key elements that require regular checks. This monitoring component need to adhere to and would allow assessing the changes due to the reclamation of additional land at Hulhulhe lagoon. The project involves inevitable negative environmental impacts to the natural environment of the island. However such impacts do not prevent undertaking the project in accordance with the existing plan developed for the INIA. Detail studies need to be undertaken to have a clear understanding of the present condition of the environment and landuse patterns that could facilitate developing a master plan that would help to develop the airport expansion to meet and cater for the future demand.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 proposed resort development at Olhahali, Kaafu Atoll, Maldives(2014-07) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of an environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt Ltd for the development of Olhahali Island in North Male‟ atoll in to a resort. This project is proposed by Grand Meridian Pvt Ltd. The resort is developed with a total bed capacity of 100. Olhahali is located in the North Male‟ Atoll, on the northern rim of the atoll on its own reef system. The island will be developed into a resort with 40 villas. Olhahali island is located about 75 km from capital Male‟ and lies southwest of Gaafaru island with a distance of 7.4 km. Olhahali island is formed within a coral reef system at the north edge of the North Male‟ atoll. The reef is triangular in shape with the widest area towards the east. There are two distinct deep lagoons formed in the reef system on the west side of the island. Olhahali is a very small island which had been used as a picnic island before the island was closed for redevelopment. As such, the island has existing buildings that was used as restaurant, kitchen, staff quarters and guest rooms. The land area of the island is not adequate to develop a resort island. Hence, it was proposed to extend the island and Ministry of Tourism approved the plan to increase the size of the island by 2.29 hectares under the proposed redevelopment. The island area after the reclamation would be 4.83 hectares. Discussions among the proponent, architects and environmental consultants have led to island extension possibilities thereby reducing the amount of fill material required for the extension. One of the main reasons for doing this was to ensure that there is minimal dredging from island‟s lagoon. These alternative designs are considered to be environmentally and economically favourable. In addition to design alternatives, alternative methods of dredging and filling have been considered so that minimal siltation would take place. The purpose of this is to protect the beautiful house reef from short term damage that may cause irreversible ecological loss. The recommended option considers minimal island extension together to minimise effect on long shore sediment transport and possible eutrophication in certain areas due to island extension. In order to ensure minimal sedimentation, bunds around the reclamation area recommended to be placed around the filling areas. Environmental impacts were assessed for both the construction and operation phase of the project. Most of the environmental impacts of the project have been identified as resulting mainly from pumping and filling sand for island extension. Similar impact has been identified for the excavation of the inner and outer entrance channels. The second most important environmental impact would be that arising from the construction of water villas, especially the impact on marine environment. For both dredging and water villa construction, the main impact would be that of sedimentation on the nearby reef areas. This impact is considered to be short-term and cumulative, adding to the impacts from snorkelling and dhoni or boat operations. The impact significance is considered to be major (without mitigation) given that the reef flat and slope around the island is quite alive, especially at the proposed development area, more towards the existing island. The impact of the machinery is also considerable given that works would be undertaken in reef flat areas. The socio-economic benefits of the project are quite high and may be considered to outweigh the negative impacts of the project on the physical environment of the island, if adequate measures are taken to protect the environment. Mitigation measures for the negative impacts have been identified and outlined in detail, especially sedimentation control methods. The proposed mitigation measures will have to be followed in order to minimize environmental damage. The main negative environmental impact of the proposed project would be sedimentation, which may cause death of corals. The coral reef being the main tourism asset needs to be protected. In fact, there is a great economic imperative to protect reefs. Hence, the mitigation measures have been selected with that in mind. For this reason, the proponent finds it easier to accept the proposed mitigation measures and have made commitment to undertake the mitigation measures as proposed in the EIA report. The proposed project conforms to environmental and tourism legislation and thrives to achieve its objectives in an environmentally acceptable manner for both reclamation and resort development component. Therefore, it appears justified from a technical, social, economic and environmental point of view, to carry out the proposed redevelopment project according to the proposed methodologies including proposed mitigation measures and environmental monitoring programme.Item Environmental impact assessment for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi Island, Raa Atoll, Maldives(2014-11) 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 Alifushi island, Raa 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 socio-economic 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 an island wide sewerage collection and disposal system. At present household wastewater is disposed on site by the use of septic tanks and this has contributed to the contamination of the groundwater to a state that it cannot be utilized. The project therefore involves the following components: a) Installation of an island wide sewage collection network. b) Installation of new catch pits for each house / institution. c) Construction of pump stations in strategic locations to collect and convey raw sewage from the households and to the final disposal station. 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 also worthy of noting as the improvement in water quality are going to bring significant health benefits to the community. Various alternatives to the proposed system were also studied. One of the options identified include deep bore well disposal and gravity systems among others. Based on the assessment, these alternatives were assessed to identify their potential application in the island against the proposed system. Environmental impacts and 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) as the proposed project does necessitate construction of an outfall but avoids large scale construction activities such as clearing trees. Most of the impacts during the construction period are impacts related to construction waste, 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 and also the quality improvement of the near shore environment. Negative impacts include the increased in extraction of groundwater for toilet flushing. This project does not foresee many negative impacts even during the construction stage and is geared towards improving the environmental quality of the island, most notably the environmental health. The project does not pose serious threats to the marine or terrestrial environment and will directly benefit the environment and the community, both in the short and long term. Nevertheless, negative impacts with varying significance will occur as the project is implemented. Based on this assessment, it is advised to undertake this project.