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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 Environmental impact assessment for the proposed construction of housing units at Hanimaadhoo(Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, 2008-05) Water SolutionsItem Environmental impact assessment for the jetty development project at Raiymandhoo in Meemu Atoll : first addendum(2017-08) ވޯރޓާރ ސޮލިއުޝަން; Water SolutionsThis report addresses environmental concerns of the proposed changes to the Jetty Construction Project at M. Raiymandhoo Island. The findings of the environmental impact study was undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. at the request of Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure for the proposed jetty development project. The EIA of the project was submitted in June 2015 and approved by EPA. It is advised that the reader should refer to the report for further details. Currently island of Raiymandhoo is among the few inhabited island of Maldives without a modern harbour. Island communities use a jetty on the west side of the island to access the island. The existing jetty is now wholly damaged and not safe for daily uses. The lagoon area on this side has shallow areas. Therefore large vessels cannot access to jetty. To ease this problem government of Maldives has proposed to construct a jetty on west side of Raiymandhoo and to dredge a channel to access the jetty. The initial proposal was to construct 36m long and 4m width jetty. However, to improve accessibility and to meet the requirements of island community, the concept was changed. Under the new concept, a jetty of 31.15m long and 4m width walkway will be constructed. As well as an area of 40m x 40m will be dredged adjacent to the jetty to use as a basin. In addition, a new entrance channel of 24m width and 325m length will be dredged to access the jetty basin. Environmental impacts of the projects were assessed during the EIA process. The significant impacts will be felt mainly during dredging. Impact of sedimentation is anticipated to be felt on nearby reef areas. Sedimentation will reduce visibility in the project area and may cause smothering of corals and seagrass. Details of the impacts and their characterizations are outlines in the report. Mitigation measures for the anticipated impacts have been identified and outlined in detail. These mitigation measures needs to be followed in order to minimize environmental damage. The details of the project have been established after considering the needs and requirements of the community. An environmental monitoring plan has been developed including important elements that require regular checks. This monitoring component will be adhered to and will allow the assessment of changes due to jetty construction project. Although the project involves inevitable negative environmental impacts, such impacts cannot be justified to not undertake the project as the social impacts of the project far outweigh the benefits. The project is therefore justifiable in light of the socioeconomic conditions and anticipated benefits resulting from the project, which seem to outweigh the negative environmental impacts.Item Environmental impact assessment for the road development project at Dhihdhoo in Haa Alifu Atoll : first addendum(Water solutions. (2017). Environmental impact assessment for the road development project at Dhihdhoo in Haa Alifu Atoll : first addendum. Male': Maldives, 2017-07) ވޯރޓާރ ސޮލިއުޝަން; Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of an environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. at the request of Maldives Road Development Cooperation. This EIA Addendum report covers road development project at Dhihdhoo, Haa Alifu Atoll. The EIA of the project was submitted in May 2015 to EPA and EIA approval was issued to undertake this project on 16th June 2015 from EPA; Ref: 203-ADMIN/138/2015/128. Presently the project is ongoing and changes to the borrow location has been proposed by the proponent to expedite the project and complete on as soon as possible. Initially it was proposed to borrow sand for backfilling from sand piled on the reclaimed site which is located on North Western side of the island. However the sand from the area were too fine and not suitable for backfilling. Therefore the additional sand required for backfilling will be borrowed by dredging the South end side of the island, where development of vessel beaching area project is ongoing. The proposed project will have negative environmental impacts as the borrowing is proposed from island lagoon with close proximity to south side reef. As identified in the EIA process, during dredging, there will be sedimentation in the area. Mitigation measures for these anticipated impacts have been identified and outlined in detail, including measures for minimizing negative effects of the sedimentation. These mitigation measures will have to be followed in order to minimize environmental damage. 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 to the road development project. Although the project involves inevitable negative environmental impacts, such impacts are predicted to be not severe as not to undertake the project with proper mitigation and monitoring. 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 Hulhule-Hulhumale connecting link road development project, North Male’ Atoll(2017-07) ވޯރޓާރ ސޮލިއުޝަން; Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of an environmental impact assessment undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd for undertaking the construction of the link road between Hulhule-Hulhumale connecting link road. The project is proposed by Housing Development Corporation (HDC). Hulhumale Island is developed on the eastern rim of North Male’ atoll between the island of Farukolhufushi (now part of Hullhumale) and Hulhule island. 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 under construction. 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 proposed project is an important infrastructure development requirement for the development of greater Male’ region. As the project takes place in a congested zone with the airport being in the centre of the project boundary, some of the components of the project overlaps with existing legislations. Therefore, these must be addressed and an engineering solution should be sorted to achieve its objectives in the most environmentally friendly manner. The need to shift the road further east arose due to the changes that were brought to the sea plan landing and take off orientations to avoid flying over Hulhumale. Therefore, without the proposed shift in location, the road cannot be constructed. 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. Coastal protection has been proposed on the east side of the reclaimed land and the methodology proposed does not pose serious environmental concerns. The proposed mitigation measures will have to be followed in order to minimize environmental damage. As the existing road is presently used by limited number of vehicles and the fact that this is not a public road, social impacts during the construction period will be limited and manageable. The EIA was undertaken to assess the environmental impacts of the proposed link road construction. Based on the assessment, it has been identified that the major impacts of the project will be felt on the marine environment during the construction stage. The EIA report also highlights some of the studies and research work undertaken in similar environments, especially in Male’، to understand the impacts of 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 100,000 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 regulation also exempts this project as Hulhule island is a special zone. 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 undertaking sheet piling Hulhumale Phase 1(2017-06) ވޯޓާރ ސޮލިޔުޝަން; Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of an environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. for Housing Development Corporation. The project involves sheet piling part of Hulhumale Phase 1 west shoreline.The project aims to: • Provide safety and protection to the vessels accessing the site. • Increase the land area of the site The proposed project area is the only section of Hulhumale Phase 1 west side shoreline that has not been protected. Therefore HDC has planned a project to develop this section of the shoreline to make best use of the area. Main components of the project include: • Sheet piling of approximate length of 190m • Dredging along the lagoon side of the sheet pile line to depth of 4m in mean sea level • Filling the area between sheet pile and shoreline using the dredged sand. Environmental impacts of this project were assessed and most of the environmental impacts of the project have been identified as resulting from the dredging and reclamation/filling works. Sedimentation from the construction works is the biggest threat to the marine environment of Hulhumale from this project. Mitigation measures for the negative impacts have been identified and outlined in the report. Sedimentation control methods have been specifically focused due to its seriousness. An important mitigation measure is to do the sheet piling first to contain sedimentation and reduce its impact on the reef. In addition, completing the dredging works in the shortest time frame is also a significant mitigation measure to minimize the impact of sedimentation on the marine environment. The proposed mitigation measures will have to be followed in order to minimize environmental damage. The measures proposed to minimize or mitigate environmental impacts may be considered to be appropriate, thereby minimizing the impact by about 90%. It is inevitable that there would be negative environmental impacts of this project. As a result, a mitigation and monitoring component has been suggested which takes into consideration, the most important elements that require monitoring, most importantly a mechanism and means to measure and value the social benefit of the project. This monitoring component will be adhered and will allow the assessment of long term changes, despite the potential negative impacts. The proposed project does pose some threats to the marine environment of the area. Even though, the existing environmental condition of the project site is degraded, there will be direct and indirect damage to marine environment in the vicinity of the project site. However there are many positive benefits of the project in long term. This project is justifiable in the light of the positive impacts.Item Environmental impact assessment for the construction and setup of a sewerage system in Baarah Island, Haa Alif Atoll, Maldives(2017-09) 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 Baarah island, Haa Alifu 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 a sewerage collection and disposal system in the island of Baarah in Haa Alifu Atoll. The concept designed for Barrah 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 Ha. Baarah 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 centre 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 Baarah 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 the streets are very narrow and congested, leaving limited space for mechanical excavation between buildings for the installation of pipelines. The lack of an established land use plan for the island is also a draw back for Baarah. No land used plan means that future projections rely solely on population statistics rather than the land physically available for future development. The present design is based solely on the existing populated area, centrally located in the island. There are large areas of the island undeveloped and unzoned due to lack of a land use plan. Large areas of the island are used for agriculture and pilot projects have been established with aid agencies to try new agricultural technologies. 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 infavour 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 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 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.