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Item Environmental Impact assessment : for the proposed development of heavy load site in Thilafushi(2010-09) Zahid, AhmedThis report addresses the environmental concerns of the proposed reclamation of an area of about 25,300m2 (2.53hectares) to a height of about 1.3m above MSL by dredging a harbour inside the area that is reclaimed. The total volume of sand required for the reclamation is estimated to be about 56,000 cubic metres. In order to get this volume of sand using the proposed borrow area (harbour), it is estimated that the borrow area has to be dredged to about 5m. Otherwise, an additional volume of about 18,000m3 of sand would be required to reclaim the given area. The primary objective of the project is to create a harbour for the several barges, landing crafts and other vessels owned and operated by Heavy Load, to provide safe and adequate access to the facility and to provide space for the different activities carried out on the site as well as to improve the services provided by the facility. The proposed project area is on the southeast corner of Thilafushi, which is the official landfill island for the entire Maldives. Currently, the site has two sand beds on the west and eastern sides, which mark the eastern and western edges of the proposed reclamation area. The exact area is being currently finalised by Thilafushi Corporation Limited (TCL). Once TCL finalises the exact dimensions of Heavy Load Site, dredging and reclamation works will begin. The entire external periphery of the dredge area would be sheet piled prior to dredging and filling works so as to minimize sedimentation. The southern periphery, which faces the sea, would have further protection using rock boulders, which would be installed as a final step. The project is, therefore, expected to take about eight to twelve months. A large proportion of the reef flat on the southeast end of Thilafushi has been dredged to provide access to the different industrial plots of land in the area by large vessels with an entrance channel at the southeast corner of Thilafushi reef. The proposed dredging is similar in size, however, would have less impact on the marine environment in the area. The reef flat in this area is almost completely dead with a few live porites. The reef slope is also mainly dead. Given the currents in the proposed dredge area is slow and generally in a westerly direction, the potential for the sediments to move to the reef flat would be small. However, it should be noted that there is a lack of long term data to support this observation. Therefore, sediment settlement on the reef has to be minimized and the most practicable means to achieve this would be to sheet pile the reclamation area prior to dredging. This would minimize sedimentation while further mitigation measures including silt curtains at the discharge points of the silt passages may be used. However, this would only be necessary if the silt levels reach very high levels.Item Environmental impact assessment : for the removal of seagrass beach replenishment activities in Herathera Island Resort, Addu atoll, Maldives(2010-09) CDE ConsultingThe Herathera Island has been experiencing seaweed overgrowth for a number of years, even before construction began on the island. Similarly, the island does not have a natural beach system which is suitable for a resort product. An attempt was made in 2007 and 2008 to remedy these shortcomings by removing seagrass and undertaking beach replenishment. Unfortunately, the beach replenishment design and implementation was flawed and new seagrass colonies have started to emerge. The island is currently is a worse condition, particularly its beach system. These environmental issues are decreasing the economic value of the tourism product being offered Resort and is reaching a point where the product may be unviable. Immediate action is required to address these issues, thus, a new and improved beach replenishment and seagrass removal programme. The proposed project involves the removal of sea grass colonies and beach replenishment. Details of the proposed project components are outlined below. a) Sea grass removal The primary component of the project is seagrass removal. Seagrass areas covering approximately 200,000 – 250,000 m2 is proposed to be cleared (see Site plan in Appendix B), 100,000 m3 of dredge waste. TwoEIA for the proposed Seagrass Removal and Beach Replenishment Activities in Herathera Island Resort Prepared by: CDE Consultancy Page| ix methods have been proposed for the project: 1) using a sand pump; 2) using an excavator and; 3) soft measures. b) Beach Replenishment Beach replenishment has been considered as part of the project to mitigate the severe erosion on the island. The dredged waste from the sea grass removal activity, after cleaning and sorting, will be used to replenish the a 2900 m beach up to 10 m from the existing shore line. Additional sand will be dredged from borrow areas within the lagoon using sand pumps and excavators. Replenishment will be carried out using a three staged process. The first stage will collect and filter sediments on designated sites. The second stage will transfer the cleaned sediments to severe erosion zones using trucks. The final stage will profile the beach using fine sand. For the direct replenishment, sand will be pumped or transferred via barges to a designated location, where loaders and trucks and move the material.Item Environmental impact assessment : for the development of a 14 Storey Building at H. Filigasdhoshuge, Malé, Maldives(2010-06) Jameel, AhmedMr. Ali Shareef is proposing to build a 14 storey hotel at H. Filigasdhoshuge. This Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report has been prepared in order to meet the requirements of Clause 5 of the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act of the Maldives to assess the impacts of proposed development at H. Filigasdhoshuge, Male’. The report has looked at the justifications for undertaking the proposed project components. Alternatives to proposed components or activities in terms of location, design and environmental considerations were suggested. A mitigation plan and monitoring programme before, during and after the works has also been proposed. The project component that has the greatest potential for environmental impact is the foundation component. The foundation type has been considered taking into consideration the noise and vibration impact from the deep pile foundation construction of project which was undertaken in the vicinity to the proposed site at Holiday Inn. The proposed project has proposed a raft foundation where piling technology has been chosen as a mechanism for shoring for the foundation construction process. A geotechnical investigation of the proposed project site was undertaken by the ELS – Amin International Pvt Ltd of Maldives in September 2008. The geotechnical investigation included the borehole investigation and Standard Penetration Tests. The geotechnical investigation revealed that the estimated settlement under the foundation would be less than 50mm which is acceptable for the type of foundation chosen for the building. Since the settlement under the foundation is small and a setback of 1 m has been provided between the plot boundary and the foundation, the ground settlement beyond the limits of the boundary would be too small to induce any significant damage to the neighbouring structures. A survey of the existing structural damage was carried out for all buildings that were located within a radius of 20m from the proposed building. The proposed project is expected to increase the housing units and commercial floor area available in Malé. It is inevitable that there would be some negative environmental impacts, especially when excavation is undertaken. Nevertheless, these negative impacts are not so severe to the extent that the project should not be allowed to take place. 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 are they positive, but most importantly would they remain positive for a long term. Therefore, it appears justified from a technical and from an environmental point of view, to carry out the proposed project in light of the existing socio‐economic developments.Item Initial environmental examination for a coral frame project(2010-07) Systems Engineering and Marine ConsultingThe potential environmental impacts of the development of a coral propagation project on the island of H.A. Manafaru are assessed. Manafaru is leased to Beach House Maldives and is operated by the Waldorf Astoria collection of the Hilton group. The assessment exposes the solutions and preferred alternatives as well as mitigation measures to minimize any negative impacts whilst trying to derive the maximum positive impacts from the project. Manafaru has very little coral cover after being degraded by the 1998 bleaching event. As it is important to be proactive in reef restoration, the resort management wishes to enhance the value of the island by propagating corals using the coral frame technique. The frames will be installed near the water villas and sparsely on the house reef. Coral fragments will be attached by a marine biologist and will develop into full colonies within a few years. Coral fragments from the house reef will provide a small number of fragments and will heal rapidly. Preference will be given to damaged colonies. 136 frames of 1m2 will be initially deployed, and after the first batch, the existing frames will provide fragments for transplantation. The project will start as soon as approval is granted, and as this is a long term project, it could span several years before completion. The island of Manafaru is located inside the northernmost atoll of the Maldives, and is subject to high winds and warming waters, which may be a cause of low coral survival. As the island is located in the middle of the atoll, the waves reaching its shores are diffraction of swells, and wind waves. As the energy encountered are of second magnitude, and the reef does not form a proper crest, the waves reach the island with less obstruction than most areas. Sand displacement depends on the predominant influence during different monsoons, forming a bulging beach rather than a sand tip.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed 14 storey building construction in G. Hudhukoka, Male’(2013-12) Musthafa, AmirThis report is based on the proposed 14 storey building construction at the residence, G. Hudhukoka in the capital city, Male’. The owners of the land have appointed Zonal Construction Pvt. Ltd. to undertake the construction works and project management including overseeing the EIA process. An Environmental Impact Assessment was necessary for the works outlined in this report as they fall under ‘Jadhuvalu R’ of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations 2012 of the Maldives. In addition to meeting the regulatory requirements, the report would further assist the proponent and important stakeholders to make decisions based on favourable environmental conditions with the main focus on sustainability. The project also adheres to several other rules and regulations in the Maldives and has obtained permit from the Male’ city council for the project to proceed. The area the project is proposed to be undertaken is a heavily built area in the heart of Male’. There is no natural terrestrial environment at site, with virtually no vegetation to be seen. The existing environment therefore was focussed on the regional climate of Male’, and the traffic distribution, and noise pollution in the area. As could be seen from the data, this area could possibly be the busiest and most populated shopping area in Male’ at any given time. Due to the congested nature of the area, the existing condition of buildings nearby was important to be investigated. It was found that most of the buildings in the area were quite old and prone to vibration impacts. However, serious structural defects were at a minimum. The overall environmental impacts of the project have been assessed using frameworks found on literature. Since the development is undertaken in a heavily built area, the results indicate that the proposed project has neutral impact. However, there are some significant impacts on the environment during the construction phase of the project and these needs to be mitigated to avoid any significant damage to the environment. Significance of the impacts and mitigation measures has been provided based on previous similar projects undertaken in the Maldivian environment and based on literature. The main cause for concern regarding this project is the impact it will have on neighbours residing in this area. As such, several short-term impacts are envisaged including air pollution, noise pollution, aesthetic impacts, and safety concerns. The major longer-term impact is the effect the construction may have on neighbouring structures. These impacts can however be easily mitigated to minimise and/or completely nullify them. The first mitigation measure proposed includes creating awareness among the construction staff and neighbours regarding the scope of the project. Other measures include taking protective measures to ensure people residing and utilising the vicinity will not have to endure the impacts during the construction stage. Foundation protection measures are recommended to prevent impact on neighbouring structures, and also dewatering procedure needs to be undertaken with care, details of which are given in the report. Alternatives, including the no project option and alternatives for some project components are also discussed. Regarding project design, a few alternatives are recommended such as changing the design of balcony railings for safety reasons, provide a green area at the terrace, while the pros and cons of making a parking area, or a mini mall in the building is also discussed. An environmental monitoring program is provided at the end of the report, which provides details on the parameters to monitor on site, and the frequency in which it needs to be done. Estimated costs for the monitoring works are given. Implementation of the program is essential for the sustainable development of the project. In conclusion, it is discussed the impact such major housing projects have for the increasing population density in Male’, and how it can be prevented at a policy level. However, taking this project as a standalone development project in an already heavily built area, it can be concluded that no significant long-term impacts are predicted. Therefore, it is recommended that the project go ahead as proposed with few minor changes.Item Environmental impact assessment for fish processing and packing facility at Fish World Maldives Pvt Ltd, Maalhos, Alifu Alifu Atoll(2013-12) Adam, M. ShihamThe development project of Fish World Maldives Pvt Ltd is a fish processing and packing facility. Located in the west central of Maldives in Maalhos, Alifu Alifu Atoll, the proposal is to process, pack and produce variety fish products targeting local markets, including fresh fish requirements of tourist resorts. Essentially the project is conceived on the observation that the amount of resources allocated by the resorts on sourcing fresh fish to feed their guests and staff is not worthwhile their effort. The quality of the fish is poor and wastage is substantial. Simply because fishing is a different enterprise far from their core tourism business; they would rather have this activity outsourced to professionals. 2. Observations by the proponent have shown that requirements of fresh fish on a resort are substantial. For instance, for a resort with 700 staff (not uncommon in high-end 7+ start resorts in the Maldives) would require about 150 − 200 kg fresh fish per night. This result is not surprising since a survey in 2006 have shown that reef fish consumption in resorts stands around 1.29 kg per tourist night. 3. The proponent’s requests to authorities on recognition of the facility on par with facilities producing for export to EU-territories have met with confusion. The current regulation requirement of Maldives Food and Drug Authority (MFDA) and Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture requirements on issuing ‘Certificate of (EU) Compliance’ and ‘License for Producing Fish and Fishery Products’ (for export) respectively is only for fish processing facilities targeting only for export. MFDA regulation requires the HACCP plan and factory floor layout is pre-approved before construction begins. Approaching Island Council on the issue decided that outlet falls under the category of facilities selling food and food products and therefore have issued ‘Operating License for Food Establishments’ during August 2013. Fortunately MFDA has now approved the layout for the ice-plant and factory floor layout. 4. The location proponent has chosen to build the facility is the area on the west of the Maalhos harbour. The area was reclaimed of dredged material excavated from the harbour basin some years ago. The Island Council have drawn up a land use plan for commercial leasing. Plots of 1,200 sq feet have been marked and 14 such plots have been identified in the area. Of these 4 plots on the western most sections have been leased to the Fish World Maldives Pvt Ltd. In addition they have acquired a large warehouse just three blocks south of their facility in the same area. 5. The proponent is proposing to produce a variety of products; fresh gill and gutted, fresh head and gutted, fresh loins and fillets targeted for resorts. There are also future plans to produce smoked and dried fish for sale in retail outlets on Malé. In addition the proponent plans to have a fishmeal plant with a capacity of 10-15 MT / day which will essentially leave nothing to throw away from the processing activities. The fish meal is intended for sale as component for producing poultry feed or as making aquaculture feed. 6. The Island Council is not able to provide the utility services and so production of water and electricity will take place on site. Initially the plan it to produce 10 MT of fresh water a day supplemented by rainwater harvests. Source water extraction for RO plant is from a bore-hole drilled on site. The borehole will be done by professional and following the guidelines provided by EPA. The depth of the borehole is around 25-30 m well below the fresh water lens in the area. Water will be stored at site on large plastic tanks. Two sound proof gensets of 125kVA each is installed. Maldives Energy Authority’s Regulation will be followed including registration of the power generation system 7. Ice will be produced at site for sale and distribution to the fishermen along with the ice-boxes. The plan is to educate fishermen on post-harvest handline and improving quality similar to the approach adopted in the successful large yellowfin handline fishery. There are also plans to have reefer vessels with ice to collect fish from atolls away from the central Maldives. For smoked and dried fish processing requirements steaming, smoking and drying chambers are fitted. The former is being ordered off the shelf, but the latter two is being custom-fabricated locally. 8. The purchase of fish will entirely be from local fishermen. Fortunately the area is popular for reef fishing; islands of Maalhos, Himendhoo, Mathiveri, Bodufulahodoo and Ukulhas are all popular reef fishing islands. Maalhos Island is strategically located in the atoll, the channel in the north and south (Maalhohu uthuru Kandu and Himendhoo Kandu) are popular crossing by the fishermen into the ocean and from the ocean side. In this sense the facility is well placed for the fishermen on their route to home ports after fishing. The area used to be popular for shark fishing and many are looking for additional work and so the news of establishing the processing factory is welcomed by the fishermen. 9. Waste from the facility will be minimal. Fish waste (from cutting and cleaning) will be used to produce fish meal. Blood water from the factory floor, grey water from toilets and brine (reject water from RO plant) will be collected in a tank underground and pumped into the western side outside the reef. Release of sewage will be minimal as there are no accommodation facilities on factory block. Lube oil and waste oil will be collected in plastic container and disposed appropriately. Any solid waste other than fish cutting will be disposed at the island waste processing facility. 10. Impact prediction exercise was undertaken in qualitative manner or a pre-defined generic template that included all the possible areas of impact from a related development projects. For the impacts that were positive or negative, scores of impact significance were assigned (negligible, moderate, major, beneficial, none). Only few negative environmental impacts were identified. These include moderate negative impacts from odour, potential over-exploitation of fisheries resources in the event of poor or lack of fisheries management from the authorities, potential damage to vegetation from collecting wood (if the plan for processed products starts), burning of significant amount fossil fuel for production of water and electricity and increased transport traffic and potential oil and other forms of pollution of the Maalhos harbour. All were found to be reversible impacts and appropriate mitigation measures are proposed for each. 11. Significant positive impacts were potential to create additional jobs and sustaining livelihoods of fishermen badly needed following the complete ban of shark fishing, better utilization of fish waste and improved opportunities for resources management by the authorities through monitoring control and surveillance and the large positive socioeconomics impact to Maalhos island creating multiplier effects for improving and expanding economic base of the island community. 12. The unique, innovative and a special aspect of the project is its link with the tourism. The project creates market space (for fishermen) and improved efficiency and health and safety of fishery products. Most importantly it adds value to the catch supporting government’s over-arching objective of sustainable utilization of the fishery resources. 13. The island council members are in agreement with this development project and they are happy to endorse the work of the Fish World Maldives Pvt Ltd. An environmental monitoring programme involving monitoring the water quality of the harbour area is proposed.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed reclamation at Nilandhoo, Faafu Atoll, Maldives(2013-07) SandcaysThis report discusses the findings of an Environmental Impact Assessment for the proposed reclamation of 100,000 sq. ft. of land on the northern side of the island between the two existing harbour areas in Nilandhoo, Faafu Atoll. The borrow area has been identified to be the old access channel. The project is proposed by Nilandhoo Island Council and the EIA is undertaken by Sandcays as part of the Corporate Social Responsibility Programme. The total volume of sand required will be approximately 28,000m3. The existing old access channel would be the primary borrow area, which is approximately 30m wide and 320m long. The average depth of the area is about 3m and dredging the channel up to 6m would result in about 29,000m3 of sand which would be sufficient enough for the proposed reclamation work. The reclaimed area will also be protected by grout bags. Around 100 mature trees, mostly coconut palms will be transplanted from location of the proposed housing project. These plants are scheduled for removal in the near future and only those plants that are removed under the housing project will be transplanted in the proposed reclamation area. The project is targeted at improving the environmental health conditions of the people of Nilandhoo by improved landuse planning. Nilandhoo is predominantly fishing village where fish is cooked and dried for sale in the local and potential international markets. There is daily, continuous processing (cooking, smoking and drying) just next to the residential area, which has resulted in several complaints from people who are not involved in the fish processing industry. The main complaint had been that of unpleasant smell. Therefore, the Council has decided to move this industrial process a little further from the residential area in order to address this issue as well as to provide additional opportunities for those who seek land for the same or similar activities. 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 positive resulting mainly from improved environmental health, increased economic activities, direct and indirect employment opportunities, increase in related business ventures, and so on. The main negative environmental impact of the project is identified to be the possible movement of low levels of sediment towards the reef. The movement and settlement of fine sediments are expected to occur on the reef flat, which is mainly dead. There may be some sediment movement on to the reef slope and edge. This would be negligible due to the small volume of dredge material and undertaking of mitigation measures such as bunding the reclamation area prior to filling. Therefore, the environmental impacts of the project are considered to be of minor negative. The impact matrices done for the project indicates a net positive impact. During the construction phase, it is vital to undertake daily in-situ monitoring of total suspended solids and turbidity to ensure that water quality criteria are met and sedimentation on the reef does not occur. In addition, monitoring of shoreline changes, water quality and drogues shall be undertaken for about a year. It is recommended to incorporate these into an island-wide monitoring programme, which is not within the scope of this EIA report. In conclusion, it appears justified from a technical and environmental point of view, to carry out the proposed project to reclaim a small area of land on the northern side of the island.Item First Addendum : environmental impact assessment for the proposed reclamation of runway extension Gan International Airport Addu City, Maldives(2013-06) SandcaysThis report addresses the environmental concerns of the proposed dredging of access channel for the purpose of land reclamation to extend the existing runway on Gan, Addu City. This report shall be read in conjunction with the EIA report for the Proposed Reclamation of Runway Extension at Gan International Airport. This report examines expected environmental and social impacts of the newly proposed method for an access channel and potential mitigation measures. The existing airport in Gan was recently open for international flights and needed to increase length of the runway to accommodate potential larger flights was imminent. Hence, reclamation of necessary land using a cutter-suction dredger was proposed. However, due to the existing reef and shallow lagoon, an access channel for the dredger needs to be made. The initial proposal to make the access channel on the southern side of the island was not possible due to hard substrate and strong waves. An alternative access channel from north-east side of the island through the lagoon on southern side of the island was proposed by the contractor. It shall be noted that the shorter access channel from the western rim reef that was proposed in the EIA report was proposed based on the recommendations of the Contractor(s) and with the assumption that the works would be started as planned during the calm days in Feb 2013. The proposed access channel dredging is not envisaged to have major significant negative constructional impacts; however, there will be minor to moderate potential environmental impacts from the operations including loss of marine biota, habited and harm to coral from sedimentation. A number of mitigation measures such as use of sedimentation screens, relocation of larger colonies of live corals were identified by the consultants. Monitoring program outlined in the EIA report was found to be sufficient and additional environmental monitoring was not found to be necessary except for water quality at the proposed dredge and fill areas. Given that the project does not have major negative environmental impacts and is unavoidable to start construction of the project, it is recommended to allow the project to proceed as proposed.Item Environment impact assessment for flood mitigation and reclamation works at Fares-Maathoda, Gdh Atoll(2013-02) Land and Marine Environmental Resources GroupThe non-technical summary outlines the findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment for the development of flood mitigation measures at Fares-Maathodaa in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll in the South of Maldives. The island is susceptible to flooding due to storm surges and powerful swells and was one of the worst affected islands during the powerful swells which hit the Maldives in 2007, with the entire island of Fares and one third of Maathodaa being flooded. Hence the need for proper flood mitigation measures is crucial in order to ensure the safety of the community of the island during possible similar events which may occur in the future. The project proponent of this project is United Nations Office for Project Services, who were requested by United Nations Development Programme to provide support of developing a comprehensive coastal protection and drainage management support approach to the southern island of Fares-Maathodaa. This project is part of a climate change package from the Danish Government of about $10 million to UNDP. The bid for the provision of consultancy services for carrying out detailed designs for flood mitigating measures at Fares-Maathodaa Island was won by Lanka Hydraulic Institute Ltd (LHI) (and their local counterpart, Riyan Pvt Ltd) and UNI Consulting Services. After conducting a study at the site and undertaking numerical modeling of five engineering interventions which were then proposed to UNOPS and the Government of Maldives it has been decided to construct a continuous offshore breakwater structure of length 734 m, joining the headlands of Fares and Maathodaa on the southwestern side of the island. Physical modeling was then conducted on this option. The breakwater would be constructed using armour rocks of varying sizes and weights which have been chosen based on their ability to resist extreme wave conditions without significant displacement. The core of the breakwater will be filled with dredge material obtained from within the enclosed lagoon area. The project also involves the reclamation of the enclosed lagoon area of 191,700 m2, though this component will be carried out as a second phase of the project, within a short duration of completion of the breakwater construction. Details of this phase will be addressed in a separate report formulated prior to commencement of this project. The construction of the breakwater will be undertaken by UNOPS, while reclamation will be funded and undertaken by the Government of Maldives.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed development of new superior rooms at Club Med Kanifinolhu(2013-01) SandcaysThis report addresses the environmental concerns of the proposed 18 rooms on the northern end of Club Med Kanifinolhu, North Malé Atoll. The 18 rooms will be developed as 9 single units comprising each of 2 rooms. The northern end has a large expanse of land formed behind a seawall/revetment in the area. The rooms are to be built in this area, which has had a few coconut palms and an iron wood tree. This area is the only available land for development of rooms at Kanifinolhu resort. Therefore, to take advantage of the recently introduced 30% built-up area for resorts, Club Med Kanifinolhu is proposing to utilize this land to create rooms targeted for emerging middle markets. The area will be landscaped with the few mature coconut palms that have been removed from the site, additional young palms grown in the island’s nursery and transplanting about 16 more coconut palms from other potential development sites such as housing projects in local islands. In order to meet additional power requirements by the proposed rooms, 2 generator sets are currently being upgraded from 800kVA to 910kVA. For water supply, it has been estimated that about 15800litres will be required for the rooms and the existing RO plant would be able to handle this additional requirement. Sewage and wastewater will be connected to the existing sewerage network by gravity lines. Existing wastewater treatment plant is capable of handling these 18 rooms as well as potential future expansion. Project alternatives have been considered and as has been mentioned earlier, the best alternative is to construct the rooms as proposed. Water villas on the southeastern side may be a potential alternative with disadvantages over cost. Minimizing the number of villas is not an option and the most number of rooms possible is desirable to the Proponent. The main negative environmental impact from the proposed project considered by EPA as well as others (in the Scoping Meeting) is the potential risk of erosion and subsequent structural damage. However, it has been observed from a study of the historic satellite images provided by Google that the sand behind the revetment/seawall at the northern end is quite stable. Therefore, no risks are envisaged. There will be no significant negative impact during the proposed modification of the seawall or retaining wall on the northern end. Sedimentation will be very low and easily dispersed due to high currents in the area. In fact, the proposed modifications will further enhance the protection afforded by the structure and minimize erosion and would be more aesthetically appealing. The other negative impact will be the removal of coconut palms for clearing land for development, however, there are a few and they will be transplanted on the island, preferably at the same area with young coconut trees planted in Kanifinolhu nursery. Other impacts include possible noise disturbance to guests during the construction phase. They will be managed by the Management during the course of the project as usual. Additional rooms will add cumulatively to the emissions and effluents disposed to the environment including brine from desalination, treated wastewater from wastewater treatment and carbon emissions from power generation as well as solid waste. The cumulative impact from additional emissions is considered to be low. Increased awareness together with the use of energy and water efficient gadgets in the new rooms would help to minimize such impacts. Use of solar water heaters and other renewable energy options have already been considered within the scope of the project. The main socio-economic impact of the project is increasing bed capacity and subsequent public/government revenue. There will also be several employment opportunities and indirect economic ventures as a result of the project. In terms of their significance, all of the above impacts are considered to be minor to negligible. There are no direct or indirect impacts on the reef or other ecologically significant areas. Club Med Kanifinolhu has an ongoing environmental monitoring programme incorporating coastal hydrodynamics and marine water quality under the coastal modifications project undertaken in 2012. Therefore, additional monitoring requirements imposed by this project would cover air quality, RO Plant feed water and product water quality. These have been incorporated into this EIA and an overall monitoring programme for the island recommended. Given that the project has major socio-economic benefits and few minor negative environmental impacts, it is recommended to allow the project to proceed as proposed.