Environment - ތިމާވެށި
Browse
14 results
Search Results
Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed water production and distribution facility at Hanimaadhoo, Haa Dhaal Atoll, Maldives(2016-11) Zuhair, Mohamed; Abdul Fathah, Mariyam Shujaa-ath; Shareef, Mohamed1. The purpose of this EIA is to critically analyse and assess the potential environmental impacts associated with the development of the proposed water production and distribution facility at HDh. Hanimaadhoo and expose the solutions and preferred alternatives as well as mitigation measures to minimize any negative impacts whilst trying to derive the maximum positive impacts from the project; 2. Currently, rainwater is widely used in all houses as cooking water and groundwater is used for various other domestic uses. Almost all houses have a rainwater storage tank. Bottled water is now mainly used as drinking water. Nevertheless, the groundwater lens in the islands of Maldives is depleted and highly saline due to over use and polluted in some areas and not fit for use for domestic purposes. Even though rainwater is widely used, it is not a reliable source as rainwater cannot be collected during dry season. Therefore, it is understood that Hanimaadhoo is in dire need of a clean water facility; 3. In the proposed facility the water production system is designed for 15 years whereas the distribution system for 35 years; 4. Proposed project involves installation of an RO plant with a capacity of 100 tonnes per day with three independent drains. Seawater intake is proposed from two bore wells 13 m deep at a site near the desalination plant. In addition to the bore wells, the facility will also incorporate rain water collected from public roofs, hence this is an integrated water resource management facility. Project also includes laying of distribution pipeline to existing household and a fire hydrant system; 5. A full baseline of groundwater quality, seawater quality, vegetation clearance and marine environment was established. It was found that the vegetation need to be cleared from the pump station location. Marine environment study showed that living substrata and fish count at the proposed outfall location was low due to dynamic oceanographic conditions that exist on the eastern side of the island with waves, swells and heavy currents which prevents settlement of new corals. Additionally, it is a high mixing zone; 6. The construction works of new powerhouses presented in this report are not expected to adversely impact the environment if the mitigation measures mentioned in the report are followed. The most important mitigation measures are daily maintenance of machinery, following chemical handling procedures, waste segregation and storage in closed labelled containers until disposal; 7. Overall, the proposed project is expected to bring in positive outcomes. It is expected that the newly established water production and distribution facility will ensure water security to the population of Hanimaadhoo in addition to greatly reducing health impacts associated with the use of polluted water; and 8. Monitoring is essential to ensure that environmental thresholds are not exceeded and mitigation measures proposed are working. Water quality and marine environment monitoring shall be done as per to the proposed monitoring schedule.Item Environmental impact assessment : Tower C of Amin Avenue, Hulhumale’(2016-01) Zuhair, Mohamed; Shakir, IbrahimThis Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report has been prepared for the development of Tower C, which is the third block to be developed as part of the 3 mixed-use residential and commercial complexes of Amin Avenue to be developed in Hulhumale’ by Amin Construction Pvt. Ltd.. The proposed Tower C development will be undertaken in a separate 14 storey building in the land plot N2-23 in Neighborhood 2. Upon completion of Tower C, the complex will have 72 apartments. The Ground and First Floors of the complex will be developed for commercial plots, parking lots and access ways, similar to Tower A and B. This EIA is prepared as per the Terms of Reference (TOR) approved by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on 16 December 2015. It is a legal requirement under the Amended EIA Regulation to prepare and approve EIAs for commercial, economic and development projects enlisted in Schedule D. Environmental clearance is obtained through approval of the EIA and issuance of EIA Decision Statement from EPA. The Tower C of Amin Avenue will be developed in Neighborhood 2 of Hulhumale’ in the land plot N2-23, which is located at 4°12'49.14"N / 73°32'25.66"E. The total land area of N2- 23 is 19,779ft2. The plot is located on the southern side of the proposed park located in the central parts of Hulhumale’. In order to understand existing environmental conditions of the proposed Tower C plot, assessments have been undertaken including noise levels, traffic flow and volume, ecological and structural assessments, groundwater and soil assessments. As Tower C is located within the overall Amin Avenue development boundary, comparison of some of the data collected for the EIA for Towers A and B with EIA for Tower C has been undertaken. Similar to the previous assessments, the highest noise levels recorded were from the northern side of the land plot having 76dB and 78dB. However, readings for the same locations during the previous assessment showed 69dB and 67dB, hence there is an increase in the noise levels of the surrounding environment. This is primarily attributed to the ongoing construction works at Towers A and B as well as other nearby sites. The average noise levels recorded on the southern sides were also increased from 62dB (previous) to 66dB (new) and from 61dB (previous) to 68dB (new). The increased noise levels on the southern side were also attributed to the ongoing construction activities for the development of Towers A and B. Generally, the traffic volume was observed to have decreased from the previous survey. This is probably due to the time where the data was collected and the period in which the data was collected where it was school holidays, hence there is a general reduction in the traffic volume of the surrounding environment. However, volume of pickups and trucks has increased from 7 to 8 and from 5 to 6 in the recent survey. There is no vegetation found within the plot allocated for Tower C development. Hence, there are no issues with vegetation clearance as part of the proposed development. A soil pit was dug within the land plot allocated for Tower C development, which indicate that generally there are no soil layers. The soil profiles show that up to the water level, only reclaimed sand exists. As there is no vegetation found within the site, the topsoil also does not have any humus content. A groundwater analysis was carried out for the Tower C location from MWSC laboratories, which indicated that the groundwater found within the site contains average levels of nitrates having 20.5mg/l. Phosphate levels found were 0.05mg/l and sulphide levels were less than 5 miccrograms/l. The salinity level was only 0.44ppt. However, high levels of dissolved solids having 451mg/l and turbidity level of 4.52NTU was found in the groundwater. Also, high levels of faecal coliforms having 308CFU were found from the groundwater at the site. Currently some social housing units and flats are found within the vicinity of the project sites which are observed to be quite new and in good condition. No physical damages have been observed from these buildings. These buildings are found on the eastern side of the Tower C plot and the overall development area. Condition of the roads around the proposed project site is observed to be in good condition. No cracks or physical damages are observed on the roads. The environmental impacts that may be associated with the proposed project are predicted and assumed in the EIA Report. These environmental impacts are divided into construction phase and operation phase environmental impacts. Most of the construction phase environmental impacts are believed to occur from excavation, dewatering, construction activities, operation of construction machinery and vehicles and construction waste disposal. The main environmental impacts believed to occur during operation phase of the project include household waste and increased traffic within and around areas. As part of the proposed project, a number of mitigation measures have been proposed in the EIA Report including using corrugated sheets supported by iron beams as a safety measure for protecting the excavated area for foundation, dewatering will be undertaken in opens spaces in Hulhumale to reduce loss of ground water, while preparing the site ready for construction, measures such as installation of safety and dust protection nets, appropriate signage will be placed to make aware people on the development. Also, important mitigation measures that will be implemented include complete elimination of waste disposal during construction and operation stages of the development into the project boundaries as well as promotion of a greener lifestyle have identified important aspects of the proposed development. The overall environmental performance will be monitored by an environmental monitoring framework that will be implemented as part of the proposed development of Tower C of Amin Avenue. Although during construction of the project, negative environmental impacts from construction activities have been envisaged, with appropriate environmental management and mitigation measures, these impacts will be reduced to a considerable level. Also, with positive socio-economic outlook of the project and considering the overall importance of such a development in Hulhumale’ to alleviate housing stress, it is concluded that the project should go ahead as planned.Item Environmental impact assessment proposed beach and swimming area development Himmafushi Island, Male’ Atoll(2016-06) Zuhair, Mohamed; Shakir, IbrahimThe Secretariat of the Himmafushi Council (Himmafushi Island Council), Male’ Atoll proposes to develop a beach having 220m on the northern side of the island and a swimming are within the lagoon on the northern side. The swimming are will be developed after removing seagrass found within the lagoon from an area having 1,300sqm. It is expected that a total of 3,252cbm of material will be obtained from the removal of seagrass. The seagrass content will be removed before the material will be used on the proposed beach. The proposed beach will be developed having an average width of 10m and a height of 1.4m above MSL. Two methods of material excavation will be used during the project implementation. Initially removal of seagrass will be undertaken by use of excavator and sand from the area will be obtained by using a sand pump. Under the Maldives Environmental Protection and Preservation Act (Law No. 4/93) and EIA Regulation 2012, the proposed beach and swimming area development project requires an EIA to be carried out. The report presents major findings of the EIA report. This EIA is prepared as per the Terms of Reference (TOR) approved by Environment Protection Agency (EPA) on 20 March 2016. Baseline environmental condition of the proposed project site as well as socio-economic environment was conducted for which the environmental impacts and mitigation measures as well as project alternatives are presented. It was found that there is a great need from the community for developing the beach and swimming area on the island, which is recognized as an important community need. The assessments carried out on the biophysical environment on the northern side of the island indicate that the coral reefs within the project boundary had very little live coral cover and limited reef fish abundance and diversity. The depth of the project area ranges from -0.4m MSL in the nearshore areas to -0.8m MSL at the proposed burrow site. The current flow was from east to west reaching to speeds of 0.14m/s and 0.18m/s. The area in close proximity to the project has known surf points. Most of the lagoon environment was covered with seagrass Thalassia hemprichii. There are two Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) within close proximity of the project location. Thamburudhoo Thila MPA is located close to the project site at distance of 1.2km NE and Lankan Thila MPA is located 5km SW. There are two Sensitive Sites (SSs) within the vicinity of the project site, they are Huraagandu SS located at a distance of 4.3km north and Okebe Thila SS located at a distance of 7.4km SW. Key environmental impacts from the proposed project will be from sedimentation to the reef areas on the northern and NW sides, changes in the hydrodynamics of the burrow area and nearshore lagoon on northern side of the island as well as potential changes to the northern shoreline of the island and these impacts can be reduced by implementing various environmental management and mitigation measures such as undertaking excavation, sand pumping and beach nourishment operations coinciding with low tide and on calm days to reduce spread of sedimentation as well as undertaking the operations in the quickest possible timeframe to reduce impact exposure period. Although there are some environmental impacts from the proposed project, most of these impacts can be reduced and mitigated by use of appropriate methodology and timing. The effectiveness of these methodologies can be documented by implementing a comprehensive monitoring programme. Also, with positive socio-economic outlook of the project and the community needs for the project, it is concluded that the project should go ahead as planned.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed water production and distribution facility at Milandhoo, Shaviyani Atoll, Maldives(2016-12) Zuhair, Mohamed; Abdul Fathah, Mariyam Shujaa-ath; Shareef, Mohamed1. The purpose of this EIA is to critically analyse and assess the potential environmental impacts associated with the development of the proposed water production and distribution facility at Sh. Milandhoo and expose the solutions and preferred alternatives as well as mitigation measures to minimize any negative impacts whilst trying to derive the maximum positive impacts from the project; 2. Currently, rainwater is widely used in all houses as cooking water and groundwater is used for various other domestic uses. Almost all houses have a rainwater storage tank. Bottled water is now mainly used as drinking water. Nevertheless, the groundwater lens in the islands of Maldives is depleted and highly saline due to over use and polluted in some areas and not fit for use for domestic purposes. Even though rainwater is widely used, it is not a reliable source as rainwater cannot be collected during dry season. Therefore, it is understood that residents of Milandhoo are in urgent need of a clean water facility; 3. In the proposed facility the water production system is designed for 15 years whereas the distribution system for 35 years; 4. Proposed project involves installation of an RO plant with a capacity of 65 tonnes per day with three independent drains. Seawater intake is proposed from two bore wells 30 m deep at a site near the desalination plant. In addition to the bore wells, the facility will also incorporate rain water collected from public roofs, hence this is an integrated water resource management facility. Project also includes laying of distribution pipeline to existing household and a fire hydrant system; 5. A full baseline of groundwater quality, seawater quality, vegetation clearance and marine environment was established. Marine environment study showed that living substrata and fish count at the proposed outfall location was low; 6. The construction works of new RO plant presented in this report are not expected to adversely impact the environment if the mitigation measures mentioned in the report are followed. The most important mitigation measures are daily maintenance of machinery, following chemical handling procedures, waste segregation and storage in closed labelled containers until disposal; 7. Overall, the proposed project is expected to bring in positive outcomes. It is expected that the newly established water production and distribution facility will ensure water security to the population of Milandhoo in addition to greatly reducing health impacts associated with the use of polluted water; and 8. Monitoring is essential to ensure that environmental thresholds are not exceeded and mitigation measures proposed are working. Water quality and marine environment monitoring shall be done as per the proposed monitoring schedule.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed water production and distribution facility at Hoarafushi, Haa Alif Atoll, Maldives(2016-11) Zuhair, Mohamed; Abdul Fathah, Mariyam Shujaa-ath; Shareef, Mohamed1. The purpose of this EIA is to critically analyse and assess the potential environmental impacts associated with the development of the proposed water production and distribution facility at HA. Hoarafushi and expose the solutions and preferred alternatives as well as mitigation measures to minimize any negative impacts whilst trying to derive the maximum positive impacts from the project; 2. Currently, rainwater is widely used in all houses as cooking water and groundwater is used for various other domestic uses. Almost all houses have a rainwater storage tank. Bottled water is now mainly used as drinking water. Nevertheless, the groundwater lens in the islands of Maldives is depleted and highly saline due to over use and polluted in some areas and not fit for use for domestic purposes. Even though rainwater is widely used, it is not a reliable source as rainwater cannot be collected during dry season. Therefore, it is understood that residents of Hoarafushi are in dire need of a clean water facility; 3. In the proposed facility the water production system is designed for 15 years whereas the distribution system for 35 years; 4. Proposed project involves installation of an RO plant with a capacity of 80 tonnes per day with three independent drains. Seawater intake is proposed from two bore wells 13 m deep at a site near the desalination plant. In addition to the bore wells, the facility will also incorporate rain water collected from public roofs, hence this is an integrated water resource management facility. Project also includes laying of distribution pipeline to existing household and a fire hydrant system; 5. A full baseline of groundwater quality, seawater quality, vegetation clearance and marine environment was established. Marine environment study showed that living substrata and fish count at the proposed outfall location was low; 6. The construction works of new powerhouses presented in this report are not expected to adversely impact the environment if the mitigation measures mentioned in the report are followed. The most important mitigation measures are daily maintenance of machinery, following chemical handling procedures, waste segregation and storage in closed labelled containers until disposal; 7. Overall, the proposed project is expected to bring in positive outcomes. It is expected that the newly established water production and distribution facility will ensure water security to the population of Hoarafushi in addition to greatly reducing health impacts associated with the use of polluted water; and 8. Monitoring is essential to ensure that environmental thresholds are not exceeded and mitigation measures proposed are working. Water quality and marine environment monitoring shall be done as per to the proposed monitoring schedule.Item Environmental impact assessment for proposed farming development project in B. Aidhoo Island(2016-11) Zuhair, Mohamed; Shakir, IbrahimMr. Mohamed Saeed of M. Snowflakes has proposed to develop a farming project on Aidhoo Island located in Baa Atoll. As part of the project, it is proposed to undertake different types of farming methods by using modern technology including setting up of a vertical farm, hydroponics farm, orchid farm and container farm. Separate plots will be developed for each farming method where lettuce, tomato, melon, chili, cucumber, bell pepper, etc are proposed to be produced. The project will be developed with all support facilities, services and infrastructure. This EIA is prepared as per the Terms of Reference (TOR) approved by Environment Protection Agency (EPA) on 19 October 2016. For such development projects, a mandatory EIA is required as per the EIA Regulations of 2012 before commencement of any activity relating to the project. The scope of this EIA is to assess the existing environmental condition of Aidhoo Island and surrounding environment, identify potential environmental impacts, propose environmental management and mitigation measures to minimize environmental impacts as well as propose an environmental monitoring plan with appropriate environmental parameters to monitor changes on a regular basis. Aidhoo Island is located at 5°11'13.73"N and 73°9'48.93"Eand is found on the eastern periphery of Baa Atoll rim in a single reef system. The island is found on the western parts of the reef in an elliptical shape similar to the reef and has an orientation from E-W. The closest inhabited island is Dhonfanu located at 4.2km west, the closest tourist resort is Kihaad Maldives located at 3km west and the closes uninhabited island is Hanifaru Island found within Hanifaru Marine Protected Area located at 1.5km SW of Aidhoo. The Domestic Airport in Dhravandhoo is found 4.5km south. The island is about 280m long from the longest point and 115m wide from the widest point and has an approximate area of 2.3ha. The island has healthy vegetation in the middle parts and young and pioneering vegetation all around it. A dynamic sand spit is found on the western tip of the island while surf breaks are found on the eastern side of the island. During the construction period, key environmental impacts are believed to occur from site clearing and construction waste disposal. During operation a number of significant environmental impacts have also been envisaged including solid waste disposal and inappropriate methods of wastewater disposal from the island will generate long-term impacts on the environment including effects on island environment, changes in reef community structure, damage to coral reefs and degraded seawater quality, etc The socio-economic impacts of the proposed development have been identified to be mostly positive. These include, opening of new employment opportunities, contribution to improving living standards of nearby communities through direct and indirect economic benefits, development of skills as well as contribution to the local economy from the above. In order to mitigate and reduce environmental impacts from the proposed project, key considerations have been given to minimize vegetation clearance on island for facilities and farming development, development of an appropriate waste management center with equipment and staff. An Environmental Monitoring Plan, which will be implemented during construction and operation phases of the development will be undertaken. An environmental monitoring report will be prepared twice a year, which will be submitted to relevant government authorities. Although there are a number of environmental impacts from the proposed development, most of these impacts can be reduced and mitigated by use of appropriate methodology. The effectiveness of these methodologies can be documented by implementing a comprehensive monitoring programme. Also, with positive social and economic outlook of the project and considering the overall contribution of the project to local and national economies, it is concluded that the project could be undertaken.Item First addendum to the EIA report for the proposed coastal protection works in AA. Ukulhas(2016-04) Zuhair, MohamedThis is the First Addendum to the project’s approved main EIA, which has been prepared for obtaining permit and environmental clearance for a new burrow site that will be used for obtaining required fill material for the request by the AA Ukulhas Island Council to extend the project shoreline to 2005 shoreline. The Proponent of the project is Ministry of Environment and Energy and the contractor of the project is SAS e Senok JV Pvt. Ltd. As part of this Addendum, it is proposed to obtain additional 13,125cbm of sand from the extended burrow site located close to the approved burrow site. The request by the AA Ukulhas Island Council was agreed by Ministry of Environment and Energy and further 2 months have been added to the original project scope. It is a legal requirement under the Amended EIA Regulation 2012 EIAs/Addendums for projects that are believed to generate negative environmental impacts. This Addendum has been prepared as per the approved Terms of Reference (TOR) on 12 April 2016. The scope of this Addendum is to assess the existing environmental condition of the proposed project areas and surrounding environment, identify potential environmental impacts, propose environmental management and mitigation measures to minimize environmental impacts as well as propose an environmental monitoring plan with appropriate environmental parameters to monitor changes on a regular basis. A detailed environmental assessment was undertaken as part of the main EIA and marine and coastal environmental assessments relevant for the proposed project have been used as the baseline environmental condition in this Addendum. The major environmental impacts from the proposed dredging and filling works are direct removal of reef section of the new burrow site, effects of sedimentation within the surrounding environment, changes in the lagoon hydrodynamics as well as increased turbidity in seawater due to sedimentation. Careful planning and scheduling of the proposed activities to coincide with calm days and low tide operations has been proposed as the main mitigation measures in addition to regular monitoring of the various aspects of the environment. Although there are a number of environmental impacts from the proposed development, some of these can bring permanent changes to the environment of the island, other impacts can be reduced and mitigated by use of appropriate methodology. The effectiveness of these methodologies can be documented by implementing a comprehensive monitoring programme. Also, with positive social outlook of the project and considering the overall need for the project, it is concluded that the request by the AA Ukulhas Island Council to be implemented.Item Environmental impact assessment for proposed access channel and boat mooring area deepening in Fehendhoo Island, Baa Atoll(2016-03) Zuhair, MohamedThe Secretariat of the Fehendhoo Council (Fenhendhoo Island Council) proposes to develop an access channel and a boat mooring area by deepening a 244m long, 10m wide access channel and a 45.75m long and 30.50m wide boat mooring area on the northern side of Fehendhoo Island. These areas will be excavated to a depth of 3m at low tide. Also, as part of the proposed project, a retain wall by use of concrete blocks on the island-ward side of the boat mooring area will be undertaken. An area of 2,440sqm from the access channel and an area of 1,395sqm from the boat mooring area require to be excavated as part of the proposed project. A total of 6,100cbm from the access channel and 3,488cbm from the boat mooring area (total 9,588cbm) will be obtained from these locations. Two areas have been identified for use of the excavated material from the proposed project including use of material on the small islet by the existing partial access channel on the northern side and on the NW shoreline of Fehendhoo where long-term beach erosion has been identified. Under the Maldives Environmental Protection and Preservation Act (Law No. 4/93) and EIA Regulation 2012, the proposed deepening of access channel and boat mooring area project requires an EIA to be carried out. The report presents major findings of the EIA report. Baseline environmental condition of the proposed project site as well as socio-economic environment was conducted for which the environmental impacts and mitigation measures as well as project alternatives are presented. It was found that there is a great need for developing an access channel and a boat mooring area on the island, which is recognized as an important community need. The assessments carried out on the biophysical environment indicate that the coral reefs within the project boundary had very little live coral cover and limited reef fish abundance and diversity. The depth of the project area ranges from 2.7m on the north to 0.4m on the south below MSL. The current flow was from north to south taking a slightly westward direction and strong currents were identified on the outer reef area and decreased currents were observed in the lagoon closer to the island. Most of the lagoon environment was covered with seagrass in the nearshore and isolated corals, rubble and rock in the middle lagoon areas. As a result of the proposed project during construction phase, some environmental impacts such as sedimentation, direct destruction of lagoon habitats, turbid marine water quality and certain degree of impacts to corals and seagrasses have been identified. Most significant impacts based on evaluation will be from excavation works where the impacts have been identified to be moderately significant. With regards to mitigating most severe impacts, work will be carried out during low and on calm days in order to reduce spread of sedimentation related impacts. Although there are some environmental impacts from the proposed project, most of these impacts can be reduced and mitigated by use of appropriate methodology and timing. The effectiveness of these methodologies can be documented by implementing a comprehensive monitoring programme. Also, with positive socio-economic outlook of the project and the community needs for the project, it is concluded that the project should go ahead as planned.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed 11-storey building development at H. Finimaage Aage, Male’(2016-07) Zuhair, MohamedMr. Abbas Waheed of H. Finimaage Aage proposes to develop an 11-Storey Building at H. Finimaage found in Block 21 on Bodufungandu Magu in Male’. The development comprises of 18 apartments, a car park at the ground floor and a shop at the basement. The total built-up area will be 1,020ft2 and the remaining 38ft2 will be left as open space. The basement will have an area of 617.85ft2. This EIA Report has been prepared in compliance fulfillment of the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act of Maldives (Law No. 4/93) and the Schedule D of the EIA Regulations 2012 towards getting environmental clearance to implement the project. In order to understand existing environmental conditions of the proposed project area, assessments have been undertaken including ambient noise levels, traffic volume and movement, groundwater, vegetation, physical condition of the surrounding buildings and roads were assessed. The highest noise levels recorded were from the southern side of the plot at the junction of Bodufungandu Magu and Burevi Magu having 53dB. The noise level in front of the plot is 49dB. The traffic flow is from south to north by the proposed plot and the majority of the traffic volume is motor cycles. An hourly flow of 52 motorcycles have been recorded. There is no vegetation found within the plot as it is entirely covered with an existing building. The adjacent plots including Finimaage, Meydhamaizandhoshuge, Elnilum and Elpaso all have existing buildings and there are no vegetation found in the immediate surrounding areas either. There are two existing buildings found adjacent to the proposed plot. A 5 storey building found in Finimaage located on the south of the plot and 2 storey and 3 storey blocks found in Meydhamaizandhoshuge located on the north of the plot. The entire plot has an existing building, most of which are single storey. However, two small areas within the plot presently have two storeys used for residential purpose. The condition of the road Bodufungandu Magu in which the plot is found was observed to be in good condition. No cracks or physical damages were observed. The environmental impacts that may be associated with the proposed project are predicted and assumed in the EIA Report. These environmental impacts are divided into construction phase and operation phase environmental impacts. Most of the construction phase environmental impacts are believed to occur from demolition, excavation, dewatering, construction activities, operation of construction machinery and vehicles and construction waste disposal. The main environmental impacts believed to occur during operation phase of the project include household waste and increased traffic. As part of the proposed project, a number of mitigation measures have been proposed in the EIA Report including using corrugated sheets supported by iron beams as a safety measure for protecting the excavated area for foundation, dewatering will be undertaken upon approval from EPA, while preparing the site ready for construction, measures such as installation of safety and dust protection nets, appropriate signage will be placed to make aware people on the development. Also, important mitigation measures that will be implemented include complete elimination of waste disposal during construction and operation stages of the development into the project boundaries. Although during construction of the project, negative environmental impacts from construction activities have been envisaged, with appropriate environmental management and mitigation measures, these impacts will be reduced to a considerable level. Also, with positive socio-economic outlook of the project and considering the overall importance of residential units in Male’ to alleviate housing stress, it is concluded that the project should go ahead as planned.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed 10-storey mixed use residential complex in Block D10-4C, Hulhumale’(2016-12) Zuhair, Mohamed; Shakir, IbrahimBatch Construction Pvt. Ltd. proposes to develop a 10-storey mixed-use residential and commercial complex in Block D10-4C in Hulumale. The Block is located on Fithuroanu Magu on the western side of Hulhumale’. The total area of the plot is 14,767ft2. With a setback, the total building footprint area will be 11,357ft2. Hence, a total of 3,410ft2 will be left as open space within the plot. Upon completion of the proposed project, the complex will have 2 – 3 bedroom 69 residential apartments (Second Floor to Ninth Floor). The Ground Floor and First Floors of the complex will be developed as commercial, parking and access ways. This EIA is prepared as per the Terms of Reference (TOR) approved by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on 24 November 2016. It is a legal requirement under the Amended EIA Regulation to prepare and approve EIAs for commercial, economic and development projects enlisted in Schedule D. Environmental clearance is obtained through approval of the EIA and issuance of EIA Decision Statement from EPA. Block D10-4C is located at 4°12'49.17"N / 73°32'14.18"E on the western side of Hulhumale’ on Fithroanu Magu. In order to understand existing environmental conditions of Block D10-4C, assessments have been undertaken including noise levels, traffic flow and volume, ecological and structural assessments, and groundwater.. The highest noise level was recorded at Site 2 close to the project site having 58dB. This is because of the Customs Area located in front of the plot where a number of vehicles have been observed by the area. Noise levels at Site 1 and Site 3 were 56dB and 49dB respectively along Fithuroanu Magu. The least noise level was recorded at Site 4 behind the project plot having 44dB. Fithuroanu Magu is a main road found along the western side of Hulhumale’ that connects to the main ferry terminal. Two-way traffic flow by the project site has been observed. The highest traffic along the road recorded was from motorcycles having 34 during the hourly period. The road is also a regular bus route and around 8 bus trips were recorded during the same hour. There is no vegetation found inside the project boundary. However, some mature vegetation primarily consisting of Beefwood (Grevillea spp), which has been planted along the roadside are found. These plants are outside of the proposed plot, hence, there is no requirement for removing these vegetation. There are no existing building adjacent to the project area. Condition of the roads around the proposed project site is observed to be in good condition. No cracks or physical damages are observed on the roads. The environmental impacts that may be associated with the proposed project are predicted and assumed in the EIA Report. These environmental impacts are divided into construction phase and operation phase environmental impacts. Most of the construction phase environmental impacts are believed to occur from excavation, dewatering, construction activities, operation of construction machinery and vehicles and construction waste disposal. The main environmental impacts believed to occur during operation phase of the project include household waste and increased traffic within and around areas. As part of the proposed project, a number of mitigation measures have been proposed in the EIA Report including using corrugated sheets supported by iron beams as a safety measure for protecting the excavated area for foundation, dewatering will be undertaken in opens spaces in Hulhumale to reduce loss of ground water, while preparing the site ready for construction, measures such as installation of safety and dust protection nets, appropriate signage will be placed to make aware people on the development. Also, important mitigation measures that will be implemented include complete elimination of waste disposal during construction and operation stages of the development into the project boundaries as well as promotion of a greener lifestyle have identified important aspects of the proposed development. The overall environmental performance will be monitored by an environmental monitoring framework that will be implemented as part of the proposed development of the mixed use residential complex. Although during construction of the project, negative environmental impacts from construction activities have been envisaged, with appropriate environmental management and mitigation measures, these impacts will be reduced to a considerable level. Also, with positive socio-economic outlook of the project and considering the overall importance of such a development in Hulhumale’ to alleviate housing stress, it is concluded that the project should go ahead as planned.