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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 : first addendum : for the development of resort development project on Gaakoshibee Island, Shaviyani Atoll(2010-03) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this document is to assess the potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures for the proposed changes to the resort development concept plan of Gaakoshibee. This document has been produced with reference to the original Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of the proposed resort and the EIA for developing a reef entrance near the island. 2. The primary rationale for the proposed alterations is to adjust the development plan from the observed shortcomings of the initial plan. The purpose of the proposed coastal protection measures is to control the predicted severe erosion in selected areas and to protect the investments (jetties and restaurants) going into these areas. 3. The study area for the purposes of this addendum is the Gaakoshibee Island and its immediate reef environment. Social impacts are not considered in this assessment as the general impacts of resort development have been addressed in the initial EIA. 4. The baseline conditions of the island are largely based on the original EIA documents. Additional information on some major changes to the environment is provided where appropriate. 5. The main developments proposed for the island include erosion prevention measures, wave energy reduction measures and changes to the locations of some buildings and jetties. Detailed description of the changes are provided in the next section. 6. This report covers the new changes proposed for the concept, its potential negative and positive impacts on the environment, potential mitigation measures required to minimize or manage these impacts and a detailed monitoring program. 7. This report is produced in accordance to the technical guidelines and EIA regulations prepared by the Environment Protection Authority. The principal approval for the changes to the concept was provided by the Ministry of Tourism on 22 February 2010 subjected to the EIA addendum approval (See Appendix A). This report is submitted to fulfill this requirement. 8. The Terms of Reference (ToR) for this project was issued after scoping meeting held at Environment Protection Agency (EPA) on 23 May 2010. The ToR is attached in Appendix L.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed shore protection project in Bilehffahi, Shaviyani Atoll(2015-11) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this document is to fulfil the requirements to get necessary environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out the proposed harbour maintenance project in Bilehffahi, Shaviyani Atoll. The proponent of this project is Ministry of Environment & Energy. The main rationale for the project is to improve the access facilities of Bilehffahi Island to facilitate improvement in the social and economic condition of the island. The island has a harbour and a reef entrance, but the reef entrance has become shallow overtime and has become dangerous for navigation due to the narrow width. This project mainly involves widening the reef entrance, relocating a section on the breakwater and disposing the dredge waste in designated locations near the harbour. The development is designed based on environmental best practices suitable for marine construction in Maldives. The project involves constructing erosion mitigation measures in Bilehffahi Island on the northern and a section of the western beach. The proposed structures are nearshore breakwaters based using armour rock. All project activities will be in conformance to the laws and regulations of the Maldives, and relevant international conventions that Maldives is party to. The key laws and regulations applicable to this project are: Environmental Protection and Preservation Act, Dredging and Reclamation regulation and Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2012. Additional approvals are required for the following before commencement of project activities. Detailed drawings approval from the Ministry of Environment, Revision to the Dredging and Reclamation approval if the alternative site plan is chosen. At present the island is undergoing severe erosion on the north and western side. Analysis using long-term data shows that Bilehfahi is ranked among the islands with the largest changes to the shoreline in the last 50 years. The northern side has retreated alarmingly prior to 2004 but the southwestern side has also grown to an unprecedented rate. The proposed protection measures are warranted on the north as it displays a long term trend of island migration. However, the southern side erosion could be considered periodic and the deployment of erosion mitigation measures on a section of beach could have consequences for the stability of the rest of the island. The proposed project site is in the shallow reef flat. It does not contain any live corals and the neared live coral cover zone is far from the site. Moderate live coral cover was observed on the reef slope at the surveyed points. Significant impacts of this project during construction phase of the project are potential significant impacts on the marine environment due to excessive sedimentation, turbidity and direct excavation related to temporary sand bed construction. The specific impacts on the coral reef and lagoon environment are cumulative in nature and include loss of lagoon benthos organisms along the dredge site, temporary sedimentation in on the reef areas close to the northern tip of the island particularly with table corals, loss of coral life and temporary impacts on fish life. These impacts are likely to persist only in the short-term. There will positive and negative impacts on hydrodynamics and beach erosion. Changes to hydrodynamics are an intended objective of the project. The leeward side of the breakwater is expected to be calm, stabilising the beach behind it. Wave refraction around the corners of the breakwater is likely to cause focussed erosion on the corresponding beach areas. The orientation of the breakwater will have an effect on wave behaviour. During the operation phase the main concerns are the potential risks to health and safety. There is also the potential risk of erosion in unprotected sections of the beach. Most of these impacts can be minimized with proper mitigation measures recommended in the report. Key mitigation measures for the construction stage include working during calm conditions to minimise damage to the surrounding coral reefs. It has been recommended to consider alternative orientation for the northern breakwater to reduce the effects of wave refraction and costs. The southern breakwater is recommended to be redesigned to facilitate seasonal movement. Consultations were undertaken with the public, Island Council and Ministry of Environment. All persons consulted were in favour of reviewing the designs to propose designs that would have least impact on the environment and those that would allow to continue the activities undertaken on the beach such as boat maintenance and recreation. The alternatives evaluated for the project were the no project option, alternative erosion mitigation plan, alternative sediment containment measures and sand burrow areas. The no project option is viable on the island, particularly on the southern side, in geophysical terms as the island is undergoing substantial net accretion, at a scale which has not been observed anywhere else in the Maldives. The no project option is not viable socially as there will be significant public discontent if the project is stopped. It was recommend proceeding with modified design based on these conditions. Alternative erosion mitigation measures were anlaysed for both the northern and southern side and recommend over the existing site plan. The revised options are cheaper, more efficient and address public concerns as well. The monitoring plan has been designed with a focus to analyse the significant impacts over time, particularly the effect on water quality and the impacts on marine life A management framework has been proposed and it is essential that this framework be used in the construction stage of the project. The operation stage management can fall within the overall resort environmental management framework. In conclusion, project mainly has beneficial socio-economic impacts.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed shore protection project in Thulhaadhoo, Baa Atoll(2015-12) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this document is to fulfil the requirements to get necessary environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out the proposed erosion mitigation measures on Thulhaadhoo Island, Baa Atoll. The proponent of this project is Ministry of Environment & Energy. The main rationale for the project is to mitigate erosion on the southern shoreline of Thulhaadhoo where erosion and coastal flooding threatens the existing houses. The island has been reclaimed in 2010 and shore protection measures have been deployed in much of the island. A 550 m section was left unprotected under the original project and the area in question is a 355 m stretch of this shoreline. This project mainly involves constructing a 355 m revetment using armour rock. Approximately 7000-8000 cbm of sand will be dredged from the future boat yard area to backfill and profile the existing beach. The revetment design is the same as those presently used on the island. All project activities will be in conformance to the laws and regulations of the Maldives, and relevant international conventions that Maldives is party to. The key laws and regulations applicable to this project are: Environmental Protection and Preservation Act, Dredging and Reclamation regulation and Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2012. Additional approvals are required for the following before commencement of project activities including detailed drawings approval from the Ministry of Environment, Revision to the Dredging and Reclamation approval if the alternative site plan is chosen. Thulhaadhoo Island is a highly modified island with multiple land reclamation projects. The island has been enlarged 80% of its original size. There are numerous coastal development including harbour, dredged basins, groynes and shore protections measures deployed following the most recent land reclamation project. At present much of the island shoreline is protected by a revetment or other shore protection measures. The area of concern with regard to erosion is a 550 m section on the southern shoreline. In this area, a 355 m section is very close to the exiting settlement and is at risk from erosion and occasional flooding. This project is aimed at protecting this specific stretch of shoreline. The proposed revetment site is the existing beach. It is dominated by construction debris. The proposed borrow site is a shallow reef flat which not contain any live corals. The neared live coral cover zone is far from the site. Moderate live coral cover was observed on the reef slope at the surveyed points Significant impacts of this project during construction phase of the project are potential significant impacts on the marine environment due to excessive sedimentation, turbidity and direct excavation related to temporary sand bed construction. The specific impacts on the coral reef and lagoon environment are cumulative in nature due to recent reclamation projects and include loss of lagoon benthos organisms along the dredge site, temporary sedimentation in the lagoon where some patch reef are present, loss of seagrass and temporary impacts on fish life. These impacts are likely to persist only in the short-term. There will positive and negative impacts on hydrodynamics and beach erosion. Changes to hydrodynamics are an intended objective of the project. Erosion will cease around the project site and risk of flooding will be reduced. The corners of the revetment where it meets the unprotected beach will erode. During the operation phase the main concerns are the potential risks to health and safety. There is also the potential risk of erosion in unprotected sections of the beach. Most of these impacts can be minimized with proper mitigation measures recommended in the report. Key mitigation measures for the construction stage include working during calm conditions to minimise damage to the surrounding lagoon. It is also recommended to put ducts in the revetment to allow exits for the existing sewage pipes. Consultations were held with the public, Island Council and Ministry of Environment. All parties were in favour of the project. Some locals would like to see a design change as the revetments reduce beach space available and is considered a breeding ground for pests. They also would like the Government to protect severely eroding north-western corner of the island. The alternatives evaluated for the project were the no project option, alternative erosion mitigation plan, alternative materials, alternative sediment containment measures and sand burrow areas. The “no project” option is not viable on this island due to ongoing erosion. Alternative erosion mitigation measures were analyzed based on the recommendations from the public. An alternative near shore breakwater design was considered but could prove to be beyond the proposed budget due to the increase in rock volume, work methodology, timing and the needs to create a wide beach between the existing settlement and the beach. At present the distance between the nearest building and beach is around 15 m. The monitoring plan has been designed with a focus to analyse the significant impacts over time, particularly the effect on water quality and the impacts on marine life. A management framework has been proposed and it is essential that this framework be used in the construction stage of the project. The operation stage management can fall within the overall resort environmental management framework. In conclusion, the project mainly has beneficial socio-economic impacts and limited environmental impactsItem Environmental impact assessment for the proposed shore protection project in Bilehffahi, Shaviyani Atoll(2015-11) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this document is to fulfil the requirements to get necessary environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out the proposed harbour maintenance project in Bilehffahi, Shaviyani Atoll. The proponent of this project is Ministry of Environment & Energy. The main rationale for the project is to improve the access facilities of Bilehffahi Island to facilitate improvement in the social and economic condition of the island. The island has a harbour and a reef entrance, but the reef entrance has become shallow overtime and has become dangerous for navigation due to the narrow width. This project mainly involves widening the reef entrance, relocating a section on the breakwater and disposing the dredge waste in designated locations near the harbour. The development is designed based on environmental best practices suitable for marine construction in Maldives. The project involves constructing erosion mitigation measures in Bilehffahi Island on the northern and a section of the western beach. The proposed structures are nearshore breakwaters based using armour rock. All project activities will be in conformance to the laws and regulations of the Maldives, and relevant international conventions that Maldives is party to. The key laws and regulations applicable to this project are: Environmental Protection and Preservation Act, Dredging and Reclamation regulation and Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2012. Additional approvals are required for the following before commencement of project activities. Detailed drawings approval from the Ministry of Environment, Revision to the Dredging and Reclamation approval if the alternative site plan is chosen. At present the island is undergoing severe erosion on the north and western side. Analysis using long-term data shows that Bilehfahi is ranked among the islands with the largest changes to the shoreline in the last 50 years. The northern side has retreated alarmingly prior to 2004 but the southwestern side has also grown to an unprecedented rate. The proposed protection measures are warranted on the north as it displays a long term trend of island migration. However, the southern side erosion could be considered periodic and the deployment of erosion mitigation measures on a section of beach could have consequences for the stability of the rest of the island. The proposed project site is in the shallow reef flat. It does not contain any live corals and the neared live coral cover zone is far from the site. Moderate live coral cover was observed on the reef slope at the surveyed points. Significant impacts of this project during construction phase of the project are potential significant impacts on the marine environment due to excessive sedimentation, turbidity and direct excavation related to temporary sand bed construction. The specific impacts on the coral reef and lagoon environment are cumulative in nature and include loss of lagoon benthos organisms along the dredge site, temporary sedimentation in on the reef areas close to the northern tip of the island particularly with table corals, loss of coral life and temporary impacts on fish life. These impacts are likely to persist only in the short-term. There will positive and negative impacts on hydrodynamics and beach erosion. Changes to hydrodynamics are an intended objective of the project. The leeward side of the breakwater is expected to be calm, stabilising the beach behind it. Wave refraction around the corners of the breakwater is likely to cause focussed erosion on the corresponding beach areas. The orientation of the breakwater will have an effect on wave behaviour. During the operation phase the main concerns are the potential risks to health and safety. There is also the potential risk of erosion in unprotected sections of the beach. Most of these impacts can be minimized with proper mitigation measures recommended in the report. Key mitigation measures for the construction stage include working during calm conditions to minimise damage to the surrounding coral reefs. It has been recommended to consider alternative orientation for the northern breakwater to reduce the effects of wave refraction and costs. The southern breakwater is recommended to be redesigned to facilitate seasonal movement. Consultations were undertaken with the public, Island Council and Ministry of Environment. All persons consulted were in favour of reviewing the designs to propose designs that would have least impact on the environment and those that would allow to continue the activities undertaken on the beach such as boat maintenance and recreation. The alternatives evaluated for the project were the no project option, alternative erosion mitigation plan, alternative sediment containment measures and sand burrow areas. The no project option is viable on the island, particularly on the southern side, in geophysical terms as the island is undergoing substantial net accretion, at a scale which has not been observed anywhere else in the Maldives. The no project option is not viable socially as there will be significant public discontent if the project is stopped. It was recommend proceeding with modified design based on these conditions. Alternative erosion mitigation measures were anlaysed for both the northern and southern side and recommend over the existing site plan. The revised options are cheaper, more efficient and address public concerns as well. The monitoring plan has been designed with a focus to analyse the significant impacts over time, particularly the effect on water quality and the impacts on marine life A management framework has been proposed and it is essential that this framework be used in the construction stage of the project. The operation stage management can fall within the overall resort environmental management framework. In conclusion, project mainly has beneficial socio-economic impacts.Item Environment impact assessment for the proposed swimming pool construction and beach replenishment project in Irufushi Beach and Spa Resort, Noonu Atoll(2013-12) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this document is to fulfil the requirements to get necessary environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out the proposed swimming pools construction and beach replenishment project in Irufushi Beach and Spa, N. Atoll. The proponent of this project is Sun Travels & Tours Pvt. Ltd. The main rationale for the project is to enhance and upgrade the tourism operations at Irufushi Beach and Spa Resort by building 45 swimming pools attached to existing 45 Beach Villas and to replenish the beach to provide a better product for the visiting guests. Moreover, Irufushi Island has ongoing seasonal erosion which requires to be mitigated. The project involves upgrading and expanding the resort operations by construction of 45 swimming pools attached to existing 45 Beach Villas on the Northern side of the resort and ongoing beach replenishment for the next two years (on a need basis) on Irufushi Island for mitigating seasonal erosion. Two areas have been proposed for replenishment totalling a maximum of 11,100 cbm. Replenishment height is 1.5 m and will be sloped as a beach at 1:7 scales. Replenishment width is 10 m from the registered shoreline. Five areas have been proposed for borrow areas totalling a maximum volume of 20900 cbm. The dredge depth will be a maximum of 1.0 m from the existing depths. In exceptional circumstances depths may be increased to 1.5 m. The borrow area distance from the registered shoreline is 50 m. The borrow area had no visible live corals. The area mainly consists of rubble and mussy sand. All project activities will be in conformance to the laws and regulations of the Maldives, and relevant international conventions that Maldives is party to. The key laws and regulations applicable to this project are: Environmental Protection and Preservation Act, Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2012 and the Tourism Act. Significant impact associated with the components of the project; beach replenishment and swimming pool construction involves sedimentation on the marine water quality and consequent impact on marine life, direct loss of marine life within the project footprint, impact on the islands groundwater, impact on the flora at the project site and the health and safety of construction workers and swimming pool users. All these impacts can be minimized with proper mitigation measures recommended in the report. The main mitigation measures include carrying out sand pumping and construction activities during low tide hours and calm weather, and proper supervision of all activities by qualified personnel. The work schedule and duration will also be planned to avoid disruptive weather conditions and complete construction activities in the shortest time possible. And continuous monitoring for the diagnosis of further problems. The alternatives evaluated for the project are dredging methods as the project involves dredging the lagoon for materials required for beach replenishment. The use of sand pump is the preferred option for beach replenishment work, since it is the most common, practical and cost-effective method. The “No Project” option has also been explored for both beach replenishment and construction of swimming pools nonetheless, this option is not deemed preferable, given the current condition of the beach and the status of the resort. Monitoring plan is designed to assess any changes to the coral reef environment of the island, coastal changes and depth variations of harbour area as well the marine water quality as these are the key areas that will be impacted from this project. The management plan for this project is designed to produce a framework for anticipated impacts, including practicable and achievable performance requirements and systems for monitoring, reporting and implementing corrective actions. In addition provide evidence of compliance to legislation, policies, guidelines and requirements of relevant authorities. In conclusion, this project has been designed in conformance to the relevant laws and regulations of Maldives. The most significant impacts are expected to be short-term impacts on the marine water quality, coral reef and lagoon bottom habitats. However, mitigation measures have been proposed to adequately minimise these significant impacts.Item Environment impact assessment for the proposed tourist hotel development project in Ifuru Island, Raa Atoll(2014-08) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this document is to fulfil the requirements to get necessary environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement the proposed airport hotel development project in Ifuru Island, Raa Atoll. Ifuru Island was initially leased for tourism in 2011 in conjunction with the proposed airport development project in Ifuru. In addition, a resort and a marina were to be developed in Madivaafaru Island, and resort was to be developed in Muravandhoo Island. These three properties were awarded on the condition that Ifuru Island Airport be operational before the resort opens. Ifuru airport is nearing completion and is scheduled to open in late-2014. The proponent of this project is Ifuru Investments Pvt Ltd. The project is a joint venture between the Government of Maldives and Ifuru Investments to partly to ensure that the Ifuru airport is operation and partly to ensure that more beds are operational in Raa Atoll. The main rationale for the project is to develop tourism in the outer atolls of the Maldives to increase the tourism bed capacity and their contribution to the local and national economic growth. Tourism development lags behinds in Raa Atoll and this project is expected to increase the speed of development in the atoll. The objective of this project is to develop and operate a four star hotel on Ifuru Island. The project broadly involves the development and operation of a stand-alone 200 bed hotel. Although, referred to as a hotel for legal purposes, the property has the same features as a resort island in the Maldives. The proposed project covers seven main components: construction of island transport infrastructure; construction of the back-of-the-house and administrative infrastructure; construction of guest rooms; construction of guest facilities; construction of utilities – sewerage, power and water infrastructure; landscaping and; hotel operations. The project is estimated to take 24 months to complete. All project designs are in conformance to the laws and regulations of the Maldives, and relevant international conventions that Maldives is party to. The key laws and regulations applicable to this project are: Environmental Protection and Preservation Act, Decentralization Act, Tourism Act, tourism resort development regulations, Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2012, Waste Management Regulation, Regulation on Cutting Down and Uprooting Trees, Dredging and Reclamation Regulation and Dewatering Regulation. Approvals have been granted for the concept by the Ministry of Tourism. Further approvals are required before construction and operations. It is a small island approximately 500 m long and 1400 m wide (at its widest point), and has a land area of approximately 51 Ha within low tide line in March 2014. The island is being developed as an airport and is in the construction stage of the project. Large areas of the vegetation have been cleared for the airport. However, the areas proposed for the hotel has not been cleared yet. The proposed runway and apron has been constructed. The other facilities such as the passenger terminal and ancillary services buildings are being constructed at the time of the survey. There is an existing harbour on the island but requires maintenance dredging. The reef condition is generally in good condition and the coastal environment is functioning well in most parts of the island. The island lacks a wide beach in the proposed hotel area and has beach rock that gets exposed seasonally. The proposed hotel area is also subject to strong SW monsoon winds and wave activity. The negative impacts from this project are typical impacts associated with resort development in Maldives. The most significant impact from this project during construction stage would be the damage to coral reef due to over water construction activities, dredging and beach replenishment, removal of limited vegetation, excavation and dewatering, changes to coastal processes due to coastal developments, degradation of the terrestrial and marine environment due to the worker activities, lost marine life due to overwater construction, dredging, replenishment and disposal of waste. Main social impacts include potential conflicts with the atoll public if equal job opportunity is not available for construction stage or operations stage of the hotel. Negative impacts during operations stage are the impacts on marine flora and fauna due to, impacts on the beach due significant erosion and accretion patterns and social impacts associated with foreign workers or general lack of opportunities. Apart from the impacts from this project on the environment, the coastal environment itself will have a major impact on the project itself. Beach will have to be created artificially in some areas to use the proposed beach villas as classified. If coastal structures are erected, it will reduce the aesthetic beauty of the island and will permanently alter the coastal processes. The project mainly has positive socio-economic benefits, including increased direct and indirect job opportunities and tourism growth. The key mitigation measures proposed for the construction stage include finding options to mitigate severe erosion on the island. A number of mitigation measures have been proposed in this assessment to mitigate the most significant impacts associated with the development, including reef clearance, worker activities, vegetation removal, marine construction, excavation works and utilities operation. Alternative options were evaluated for the activities that are identified to have significant impacts on the project. Alternative options have been proposed mitigate erosion and preference has been given to beach replenishment. Alternative options for dredging were also considered and barge/excavator operation was preferred. Consultations were held with the island councils and public of Ugoofaaru, Dhuvaafaru and Maakurathu. This project has strong support from the island communities and all site plans have been seen by the Island Councils. There is a general dissatisfaction due to the slow pace of resort development projects in the atoll. The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for this project is designed to produce a framework for anticipated impacts, including practicable and achievable performance requirements and systems for monitoring, reporting and implementing corrective actions. In addition, provide evidence of compliance to legislation, policies, guidelines and requirements of relevant authorities. Monitoring plan is designed to assess any changes to the physical environment as well as operational aspects of the hotel. The total cost of mitigation and monitoring are estimated between US$10,000 per year. The main conclusion of this report is to move forward with the proposed development after with the proposed alternatives and the suggested mitigation measures.Item Environment impact assessment for the proposed tourist resort development project in Huruvalhi Island, Lhaviyani Atoll(2014-09) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this document is to fulfil the requirements to get necessary environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement the proposed resort development project in Huruvalhi Island, Lhaiyani Atoll. Huruvalhi Island was leased for tourism in 2014 as part of the Ministry of Tourism’s policy to lease small islands within the 10 km of an existing resort for resort development, by the owners of the existing resort. The proponent of this project is Champa Lars Pvt Ltd, which is owned by the shareholders of Kuredhoo Island Resort. The main rationale for the project is to expand tourism in the outer atolls of the Maldives to increase the tourism bed capacity and their contribution to the local and national economic growth. Tourism development lags behinds in Lhaviyani Atoll and this project is expected to increase the speed of development in the atoll. The objective of this project is to develop and operate an extension of the Kuredhoo Island Resort as a five-star resort on Huruvalhi Island Island. The project broadly involves the development and operation of a stand-alone 200 bed extension of Kuredhoo Island. The proposed project covers eight main components: construction of island transport infrastructure; erosion mitigation, construction of the back-of-the-house and administrative infrastructure; construction of guest rooms; construction of guest facilities; construction of utilities – sewerage, power and water infrastructure; landscaping and; resort operations. The project is estimated to take 24 months to complete. All project designs are in conformance to the laws and regulations of the Maldives, and relevant international conventions that Maldives is party to. The key laws and regulations applicable to this project are: Environmental Protection and Preservation Act, Decentralization Act, Tourism Act, tourism resort development regulations, Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2012, Waste Management Regulation, Regulation on Cutting Down and Uprooting Trees and Dewatering Regulation. Approvals have been granted for the concept by the Ministry of Tourism. Further approvals are required before construction and operations. It is a small island approximately 440 m long and 195 m wide (at its widest point), and has a land area of approximately 8.1 Ha within low tide line in August 2014. The island is generally in natural condition but not in pristine condition. Vegetation has been heavily modified and the water quality is poor. The lagoon and reef environment is in pristine condition. There are large areas of live coral cover on the reef slopes. The island has a generally calm embayment in the reef on the northern side which has been proposed as the main jetty area. No dredging is required. The beach environment on the southern side is in poor condition with very limited dry beach and ongoing severe erosion. Severe erosion is also prevalent on the northwest corner of the island. Erosion mitigation and beach mitigation are required. The negative impacts from this project are typical impacts associated with resort development in Maldives. The most significant impact from this project during construction stage would be the damage to coral reef doe to over water construction activities, removal of limited vegetation, excavation and dewatering, changes to coastal processes due to coastal developments, degradation of the terrestrial and marine environment due to the worker activities, lost marine life due to overwater construction and disposal of waste. Main social impacts include potential conflicts with the atoll public if equal job opportunity is not available for construction stage or operations stage of the resort. Negative impacts during operations stage are the impacts on marine flora and fauna due to potentially high number of vessels using the lagoon, impacts on the beach due significant erosion and accretion patterns and social impacts associated with foreign workers or general lack of opportunities. Apart from the impacts from this project on the environment, the coastal environment itself will have a major impact on the project itself. Erosion is likely to continue and if left unprotected, it will pose challenges and economic losses for the operation of the property. Beach will have may have to be created artificially in the future to mitigate erosion. If the coastal structures are erected, it will reduce the aesthetic beauty of the island and will permanently alter the coastal processes. The project mainly has positive socio-economic benefits, including increased direct and indirect job opportunities and tourism growth. The key mitigation measures proposed for the construction stage include finding options to mitigate severe erosion on the island. A number of mitigation measures have been proposed in this assessment to mitigate the most significant impacts associated with the development, including reef clearance, worker activities, vegetation removal, marine construction, excavation works and utilities operation. Alternative options were evaluated for the activities that are identified to have significant impacts on the project. Alternative options have been proposed mitigate erosion and preference has been given to shore protection and future consideration to undertake beach replenishment. Alternative options assessment for beach replenishment showed that more detailed assessments are required and additional approvals are recommended once more details are available. An alternative jetty has also been recommended on the south as the northern side may not be accessible year-round. Consultations were held with the island councils and some members of the public of Hinnavaru. In addition, consultations were made with the two nearest resorts (Komandoo Island Resort and Kuredhoo Island Resort) and Ministry of Tourism. This project has strong support from the island communities and all site plans have been seen by the Island Councils. There is a general dissatisfaction due to the slow pace of resort development projects in the atoll. There were also concerns raised about lack of picnic islands, but they were generally willing to sacrifice such needs in return for economic benefits. The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for this project is designed to produce a framework for anticipated impacts, including practicable and achievable performance requirements and systems for monitoring, reporting and implementing corrective actions. In addition, provide evidence of compliance to legislation, policies, guidelines and requirements of relevant authorities. Monitoring plan is designed to assess any changes to the physical environment as well as operational aspects of the resort. The total cost of mitigation and monitoring are estimated between US$10,000 per year. The main conclusion of this report is to move forward with the proposed development after with the proposed alternatives and the suggested mitigation measures.Item Environment impact assessment for the proposed tourist guest house development project in Huraa Island, Kaafu Atoll(2014-06) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this document is to fulfil the requirements to get necessary environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement the proposed guest house development project in Huraa Island, Male’ Atoll. The proposed site is the northern end or Thundi area of the Huraa Island. The proponent acquired the right to develop the guest house after in open bidding initiated by the Huraa Island Council. The proponent of this project is Pearl Sands of Maldives Pvt Ltd, which was registered specifically to develop the guesthouse business in Huraa. The main rationale for the project is to develop guesthouse tourism in the Maldives to increase the tourism bed capacity and their contribution to the local and national economic growth. The purpose of the project from the Council’s perspective is to increase the revenue of the Council and to provide direct benefits of tourism to the community. The island currently has a number of guest houses but servicing mainly locals. The project broadly involves the development and operation of 25 room guest house. The proposed project covers four main components: construction of guest rooms; construction of guest facilities; seagrass removal, and beach replenishment, and; guesthouse operations. The project is estimated to take 12 months to complete. All project designs are in conformance to the laws and regulations of the Maldives, and relevant international conventions that Maldives is party to. The key laws and regulations applicable to this project are: Environmental Protection and Preservation Act, Decentralization Act, Tourism Act, Guesthouse regulations, Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2012, Waste Management Regulation, Regulation on Cutting Down and Uprooting Trees and Dewatering Regulation. Approvals have been granted for the concept by the Ministry of Tourism. Further approvals are required before construction and operations. The project is being undertaken in an inhabited island which has a heavily modified Environment. The island has undergone land reclamation, shore protection, vegetation removal and habour construction, among other modifications. The settlement occupies more than 60% of the island and settlement areas are generally devoid of continuous vegetation cover. There is a wetland environment on the island, which is considered the only such environment in the region. However, this site is not in the best of conditions, with signs of waste and reclamation around it. The proposed site has not been used for settlement but the areas have a highly modified vegetation system. Much of the project footprint comprises of coconut palms. The undergrowth in much of the area has been long removed and the palms appear to be planted by the locals. There is as Cadet Corp training camp within the vicinity of the project site. The biggest challenges from the natural environment are current erosion, lack of beach and seagrass overgrowth. The beach areas close to the proposed site are in poor condition with most areas lacking any beach and with severe erosion. There is sand pit which is a preferred picnic area for the locals. The immediate lagoon is covered with seagrass and will need to be removed to make the lagoon useable for swimming and other guest activities. The negative impacts from this project are typical impacts associated with tourism facilities development in Maldives, but with a much reduced scale. The most significant impact from this project during construction stage would be the loss of live coral colonies due to dredging and reclamation, removal of vegetation, excavation and dewatering, changes to coastal processes due to coastal developments, degradation of the terrestrial and marine environment due to the worker activities and disposal of waste. Main social impacts include potential conflicts with the public if equal job opportunity is not available for construction stage or operations stage of the property and social conflicts associated with sharing of utilities, beach areas and lagoon. The main anticipated negative impact during operations stage is the impacts on the beach due significant erosion and accretion patterns and social impacts associated with the above mentioned potential conflicts. The project mainly has positive socio-economic benefits, including increased direct and indirect job opportunities, growth of small businesses, growth in transport sector and improvement in transport to the island. Key mitigation measures for the construction stage include finding options to mitigate severe erosion on the island. A number of mitigation measures have been proposed in this assessment to mitigate the most significant impacts associated with the development, worker activities, vegetation removal, seagrass removal and beach replenishment. Alternatives options were evaluated for the activities that are identified to have significant impacts on or from the project. These include the options for erosion mitigation and seagrass removal. Alternative options have been proposed mitigate erosion and preference has been given to construct groynes on the NW corner. Alternative options assessment for seagrass removal was assessed but the currently proposed option to use excavators on sand beds was preferred. The Island Council, public and the nearest two resort islands were consulted on the project and all stakeholders have strong support to implement this project. The resorts have some reservations with some components of the project. The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for this project is designed to produce a framework for anticipated impacts, including practicable and achievable performance requirements and systems for monitoring, reporting and implementing corrective actions. In addition, provide evidence of compliance to legislation, policies, guidelines and requirements of relevant authorities. Monitoring plan is designed to assess any changes to the physical environment as well as operational aspects of the guesthouse. The total cost of mitigation and monitoring are estimated between US$5,000 per year. The main conclusion of this report is to move forward with the proposed development after with the proposed alternatives and the suggested mitigation measures.Item Environment impact assessment : first addendum for the proposed tourist resort redevelopment project in Gasfinolhu Island, Kaafu Atoll(2014-01) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this document is to fulfil the requirements to get necessary additional environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out the proposed changes to the resort redevelopment project in Gasfinolhu Island Resort, Male’ Atoll. The proponent of this project is Global Pvt Ltd. The primary rationale for the proposed additional activity is to adjust the re-development plan from the observed shortcomings of the initial plan. The proposed revisions include increase in the number of rooms, changes to the room design and relocation of some guest facilities, revegetation, reclamation/replenishment of a 10,000 – 11,000 sq m on the main island and beach replenishment of about 500 sq m of the small islet on the eastern side. All project activities will be in conformance to the laws and regulations of the Maldives, and relevant international conventions that Maldives is party to. The key laws and regulations applicable to this project are: Environmental Protection and Preservation Act, Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2012, Dredging and Reclamation Regulations 2013 and Tourism Act. Approvals for the project have been granted from Ministry of Tourism and EPA (for coastal modifications). The study area for the project is Gasfinolhu Island and baseline conditions are based on Original EIAs (Phase I and Phase II EIA’s) and monitoring reports/data. Baseline conditions indicate that most of the developments highlighted in the EIAs have been undertaken as specified. Existing coastal modifications such as replenishment and dredging has had short term impacts on the marine environment but has been very localised. Impacts from the current proposal will be cumulative and will mainly have impacts on the marine environment. Significant impacts of this project during construction phase of the project are the potential impact of sedimentation on the marine water quality and consequent impact on marine life, direct loss of marine life within the project footprint and the health and safety risks to construction workers. All these impacts can be minimized with proper mitigation measures recommended in the report and as practiced in the current environmental management framework. The main mitigation measures include carrying out construction activities during low tide hours and calm weather, deployment of silt screen or construction of bunds in the project area and where appropriate to reduce sediment dispersal and avoid adverse sedimentation impacts, and proper supervision of all activities by qualified personnel. The work schedule and duration will also be planned to avoid disruptive weather conditions and complete construction activities in the shortest time possible. The alternatives evaluated for the project are alternative near shore breakwater technologies and alternatives for borrow areas. The “No Project” option has also been explored and this option is not deemed preferable, given the current condition of the shore and the need for mitigation of ongoing seasonal and long-term erosion problem. The monitoring plan is designed to extend the existing monitoring programme. The management plan for this addendum will also be the same framework existing for the project. In conclusion, the proposed additional activities for this project have been designed in conformance to the relevant laws and regulations of Maldives. The most significant impacts are expected to be short-term impacts on the marine water quality, coral reef and lagoon bottom habitats. However, mitigation measures have been proposed to adequately minimise these significant impacts. Prepared