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Item First addendum to the environment impact assessment prepared for the proposed development of 7,000 social housing units at Hulhumale’ phase II(2016-12) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this document is to fulfil the requirements to get necessary environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency to construct a temporary jetty at Hulhumale’ phase II. This jetty is required for the transportation of construction goods, equipment and machineries for the development of 7,000 social housing units at Hulhumale’ Phase II. EPA has approved the original EIA for the proposed development of social housing units on 22 September 2016. This addendum is required for the construction of the jetty. The proponent of this project is China State Construction Engineering Limited (CSCEC). The rationale for the proposed construction of the jetty is to facilitate the transportation of the construction goods and machineries to the project site. The project to develop 7,000 social housing units requires large-scale machineries, equipment and high quantities of construction materials, which will need to transported in bulk to the project site. Hence, the proponent has decided to construct a temporary jetty, which will have the capacity to moor a 5,000DWT vessel. The contractor for this project is CSCEC Limited and it is financed through bank loans. For the purpose of this project, HDC has allocated an area of 3,204.20 sqm for temporary loading and unloading of materials towards the western side of Hulhumale’ Phase II. HDC has also given permission to the proponent for the construction of the jetty. The project proposes to construct a jetty that will be divided into two parts. The first part will be allocated for wharf operation area (40 m wide) and the other part for temporary transfer stacking yard. The project will involve excavation to a depth of 3 m. During this process, 1,385 m3 of sand will be dredged that will be used for backfilling at the end of the jetty. The surface of the jetty will be backfilled with sand and the sides will be protected using sand bags. In addition, 30 cm thick packaged concrete will be laid as toe protection for the foundation bed. Project duration is estimated to be 2 months. The key laws and regulations applicable to this project are: Environmental Protection and Preservation Act, Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2012, sand and coral mining regulation and Dredging and Reclamation Regulation. In addition, this project requires approval from HDC. The existing environment of the project was assessed for the purpose of this addendum. Assessments conducted include marine water quality and marine assessment. Marine assessment showed that no significant fish life or coral colonies occur at the site. The area is mostly made up of a sandy bottom covered in thick patches of algae. Marine water quality assessment showed that water is turbid. Significant impacts of this project during construction phase of the project are the potential impact of greenhouse gas emissions, marine water turbidity during dredging and impact on groundwater and soil condition due to oil spillages and accidental leakages. There are cumulative impacts on the site due to recent extensive land reclamation in the area. The reef, water quality and shoreline has already been extensive modified. The main mitigation measures include carrying out construction activities during low tide hours and calm weather, carrying out the work in the shortest time frame possible. Mitigation measures also include, storing oil and chemicals in sealed containers, and training workers in spill prevention and cleanup, and designate responsible individuals. The “No Project” option was explored for this project. However given the importance of this project for the overall project, the plan is to go ahead with the project. The monitoring plan is designed to assess impacts to the marine environment and impacts to groundwater quality. The cost of monitoring is estimated to be between USD 1,000 and USD 2,000 per annum. The management plan for this project has been updated to include the key management requirements during construction of jetty. Stakeholders consulted for this project include, Environmental Protection Agency and Housing Development Corporation. EPA advised to undertake appropriate mitigation measures to prevent sedimentation. HDC emphasised to not use the temporary area given for the project for storing materials. They also advised to keep the vessels moving in the area to avoid traffic since the area has other jetties in operation. Both stakeholders highlighted that the jetty must be demobilized once the overall project is complete. The main conclusion of this report is to proceed with the project but after incorporating the mitigation measures proposed in this addendum. Safety during construction must be a priority.Item Environment impact assessment for the development of 7,000 social housing units in Hulhumale’ phase II(2016-09) 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 development of 7,000 social housing units in Hulhumale’ Phase II. The proponent of the project is China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited (CSCEC). The project is designed to achieve the housing development goals of the Government and under the effort to develop Hulhumale’ into a youth village. The project forms part of an umbrella effort to establish 15,000 social housing units in Hulhumale’ Phase II. These housing units will be specifically targeted for families. This project will be among the first developments in Hulhumale’ Phase II. This project is also the first high rise residential building of more than 14- storeys in the Maldives. The project involves constructing 16 buildings over 7 plots. Each building will have 25-storeys and the total area allocated for the project is 35,604 sqm. Out of the 16 buildings, 10 buildings will have 16 apartments on every floor and the remaining 6 buildings will have 20 apartments on every floor. A total of 7,000 residential units will be developed. Each building will consist of two bedroom apartments units, parking space and waste collection point in the ground floor. The target population is estimated between 21,000 to 28,000 persons at 3 to 4 persons per apartment. The target population for these flats is low to low-middle income Maldivians. Each apartment will have an area of approximately 50.53 sqm and it consists of two bedrooms, living room and kitchen, two toilets and balcony. Parking space is design to accommodate two motorbikes per apartment. The building will be complete with outdoor fire hydrant systems, two escape stairs, fire elevators and fire alarm systems. All utilities during operation will be provided by state owned services. The proposed project covers: mobilisation, construction of worker’s accommodation blocks, excavation and dewatering, foundation and concrete works, mechanical and electrical works, exterior and electrical works.. The project is estimated to take 24 months to complete. The proposed designs and plans are also generally in conformance to the laws and regulations of the Maldives. Additional approvals are required for the following before commencement of project activities. They are detailed drawings approval from the HDC; dewatering application and approval before commencement of any dewatering activities; connections to sewer systems; water connections; power connections and approvals to use the building for housing and approval from civil aviation authority. The project will be implemented on the newly reclaimed area in Hulhumale’ Phase II located on the south eastern rim of North Male’ Atoll which has been developed as an extension of Hulhumale’ Phase I. The proposed housing development site is located towards the north eastern side in Phase II. Seven plots has been allocated for this project with a total area of 35,604 sq.m. The existing environment was assessed for the purpose of this EIA. Baseline assessments include groundwater and marine water quality assessments, soil profiling, noise measurements and marine assessment. The groundwater quality of the site was found to be good except with elevated levels of turbidity. Marine assessment showed mainly dead corals and white sand in the area. During construction stage, the project is expected to incur minimal impacts on the environment, as the area is a vacant land. Minor impacts are anticipated on groundwater and soil condition, marine water quality due to oil spillages and through disposal of residual water after dewatering. Impact on air quality and greenhouse gas emissions is anticipated to be moderate as a significant number of generators will be used. During operational stage, the proposed developments involve significant positive impacts on the socio-economic environment. These are associated with the increased supply of housing to those in need and reduce the level of congestion in Male’. This will also benefit the economically disadvantaged by providing easy access to affordable and improved housing units. The project will involve the settlement of a large number of populations, which will exert pressure on existing utility service centres, schools and hospitals. It is anticipated that the demand for parking space and traffic flow in Hulhumale’ will also increase following this development. Risk of fire and criminal activities are also anticipated negative impacts associated with this project Mitigation measures are recommended for potential significant impacts during operational and construction stage. It is recommended to design and develop the building with adequate measures for fire prevention and to ease evacuation during a fire. It is also recommended to establish a community police nearby the building to maintain peace in the area and develop a master transportation plan to cater the demand for parking space in the future. Alternative options were evaluated for the activities that are identified to have significant impacts on the project. These include the ‘No Project’ alternative, alternative dewatering outfall locations, alternative location, alternative use of the building and alternative location for concrete batching plant. Alternatives for height of the buildings were also assessed in the report. It has been recommended to follow the proposed plan for the development. However, location of batching plant will have to be changed as per requirements by HDC. Consultations were held with all relevant stakeholders including, EPA, Housing Development Cooperation, MWSC, STELCO, Civil Aviation Authority, Waste Management Corporation, National Disaster Management Centre, MNDF Fire and Rescue Service, Transport Authority, Maldives Police Service and Ministry of Environment and Energy. The regulatory authorities asked to follow the existing regulations and guidelines in the design and construction of buildings. Attempts to consult Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure have been unsuccessful. The ministry was unable to confirm a meeting before the submission of the EIA report. In addition, a general public survey was also conducted for this EIA to seek the views of the public towards the project. In general the public was very positive towards the project but some raised concerns over corruption and unfair allocation of plots during operation. 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 human environment. The total cost of mitigation and monitoring are estimated between USD 10,000 annually. The main conclusion of this report is to proceed with the project but after incorporating the mitigation measures proposed in this report. Safety during construction must be a priority.Item Environment impact assessment for the development of N3-56 and N3-57 plot under the proposed 3,000 housing units project at Hulhumale’, Kaafu Atoll(2016-05) 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 development of Hulhumale’ Plot N3-56 and N-57 under the 3,000 housing unit construction project. The overall project comprises of three plots (N3-55, N3-56 and N-3-57). An EIA has already been prepared and approved for N3-55. The original EIA application had all three plots together but since the concept approval was only available for N3-55 decision was taken in the scoping meeting to submit N-56 and N-57 later. This EIA is prepared for the remaining two plots. The project is designed to achieve the housing development goals of the Government and to expand the settlement in Hulhumale’ Island. The proponent of this project is Sea Life Global Inc Private Limited who owns the right to develop the plot. The main rationales for the project are to cater for the shortage of housing in Male’ Urban Region and to relieve the congestion in Male’. The project at N3-56 and N-57 involves constructing three 13-storey buildings or towers. A total of 506 residential units are planned to for a target population between 800 to 1000 persons at 4 to 6 persons per household. The bottom three floors will be used for commercial purposes while the rest will be developed for housing. A combination of one bedroom, two bedroom, three bedroom, four bedroom and penthouse apartment units will be developed in each tower. In addition to the apartment units, each floor will offer auxiliary space including corridors, stairs, lifts, lobby and service stores. Commercial zone of each block has 4 retail stores, fire control room, transformer room, service stores and waste management stores. Parking is provide on the ground floor behind the commercial zone. All utilities will be provided by existing state-owned service providers. The proposed project covers: demolition and site clearance; concreting works; interior, mechanical, exterior and electrical works; finishing, and; building operations. The project is estimated to take 30 months to complete. The proposed designs and plans are also generally in conformance to the laws and regulations of the Maldives. Additional approvals are required for the following before commencement of project activities. They are detailed drawings approval from the HDC; dewatering application and approval before commencement of any dewatering activities; connections to sewer systems; water connections; power connections and approvals to use the building for housing. The proposed site is located near the existing flats around the central part of Hulhumale. Plot N3-56 covers a total area of 6,631.69 sqm (~71,000 sq ft) and plot N3-57 covers a total area of 6,935.64 sqm ( ~ 74,000). There are some trees planted on both plots, which needs to be cleared for construction. All these trees will have to cut down or trees of significance were identified on the site. There are existing flats, a school and a mosque within the vicinity of the plot. There are also construction project within the vicinity including the proposed tertiary hospital in Hulhumale. The street facing east of the project site has moderate high traffic due to the presence of flats. The rest of the streets around it have moderately low traffic. The assessment shows that the proposed developments involve significant positive impacts on the socio-economic environment. These are associated with the increased supply of housing to those in need, growth of Hulhumale Island and economic benefits to the proponent. The negative impacts are moderately small as this is reclaimed land with barely minimal biodiversity. Most impacts are associated with dewatering, health and safety, noise, vibration and dust. A focus has been placed on minimising impacts on ground water due to over-extraction, contamination from accidental spills and leakages. Operational stage impacts are mainly beneficial impacts as well. Negative impacts are those associated with the increase population and related pressures on resources and utilities, traffic congestion and criminal activities, among others. Alternative options were evaluated for the activities that are identified to have significant impacts on the project. These include the options alternative foundation methods and alternative dewatering outfall location. The proposed options were preferred over the alternatives. Consultations were held with all relevant stakeholders including Ministry of Housing, EPA, Housing Development Cooperation, MWSC, STELCO and members of the public. In general there was strong support of the project. The regulatory authorities asked to follow the existing regulations and guidelines the design and construction of buildings particularly in relation to utilities, waste management and dewatering. EPA also asked to undertake geo-technical investigations before construction. The public was very positive towards the project but some raised concerns over corruption and unfair allocation of plots during operation. 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 human environment. The total cost of mitigation and monitoring are estimated between Rf 25,000 annually. The main conclusion of this report is to proceed with the project but after incorporating the mitigation measures proposed in this report. Safety during construction must be a priority.