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Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed resort development at Kanbalifaru, Shaviyani Atoll, Maldives(2014-08) SandcaysThis report addresses the environmental concerns of the proposed development of a resort on Kanbaalifaru; shaviyani Atoll. The island is about 195,709 m2 in its size. Kanbaalifaru is located close to the eastern rim of Shaviyani atoll at 6° 7'26.84"N and 73°15'18.89"E. There are no other islands within the house-reef of the island. The Proponent of the proposed development is Kanbaaalifaru Development Pvt. Ltd. The Proponent proposes to develop a medium to high end resort on Kanbaalifaru with 201 rooms, having a bed capacity of 402, which comprise of 30 x Beach Villas (2 rooms each); 50 x Ocean view villa; 18 x Family Villas (2 rooms each); 30 x Water villas and 25 x Superior water villas. In addition to these, guest facilities will include an Arrival Jetty; water villa arrival point; Reception and Admin office, a Main Restaurant; Main bar, Specialty restaurant, Spa Complex, Dive Center & Medical Clinic, Shops, Beach Bar/Coffee shops and Sports area. The proposed development will conform to all current environmental legislation including the Regulation on the Protection and Conservation of the Environment in the Tourism Industry. The main negative impact of the proposed development will be the impact of deforestation due to land clearance for proposed buildings. There may also be some degree of sedimentation due to excavation to place footings of jetties and water villa structures, which is considered minor negative. The other impacts due to environmental infrastructure such as power generation, sewage and wastewater disposal and water production are considered general impacts similar to all such developmental projects. There are no specific concerns or environmental impacts related to these. These impacts are inevitable. Yet, every effort is to be made to minimize the impact and footprint of the impact. To minimize the impact of deforestation, buildings will be designed around mature trees minimizing their removal. If a mature tree were to be removed, they will be carefully uprooted and transplanted elsewhere. It is noteworthy that there are very few mature trees in Kanbaalifaru with a few mature coconut palms. The other negative impacts of the water villas include impacts on sediment transport around the north-western side and south-western side of kanbaalifaru and some minor degree of sedimentation on the reef nearby. The impact on hydrodynamics would be minimized by placing water villas as far away from live reef areas and dynamic beach areas as possible especially on the southern end where there is a dynamic sand spit. To minimize the impact on longshore sediment transport, the walkways of water villas will stand on piles with their footings buried in the seabed. Care will also be taken to minimize sedimentation on the reef when placing water villa footings and columns. Precast footings and columns will be used and excavator movements shall be minimized. Excavator is preferably moved on barge to minimize sedimentation and if high bed excavators were to be used, they shall move as far from coral reef flat areas as possible. This impact of sedimentation will be short-lived given that tidal and wind-driven currents would normally carry the sediments away from the reef at all tides and monsoons. It is vital, therefore, to monitor the condition of the reef prior to the start of works, during the works and after the works to establish the true nature of the impact. Transplanting live corals in impacted area would be a priority. There are very few live corals in development zones, which may be impacted. The other environmental impacts of the proposed development include solid waste management, water supply, sewage disposal and energy generation. Solid waste will be generated both during the constructional and operational phase of the resort. Constructional waste will be disposed of by the Contractor to Vandhoo in Raa Atoll or Thilafushi in Kaafu Atoll. During the operational phase, a waste management center established on the island will segregate waste and dispose of them in a manner prescribed in tourism regulations. It is during the construction stage that the waste is often not managed properly and waste ends up in the environment. Therefore, it is vital that waste management procedures are in place during construction phase to ensure waste is appropriately dealt with. Supervision and awareness of construction workforce is highly recommended. Desalination, sewage treatment and power generation are fuel-dependent processes and fuel efficient desalination technology, STPs and, especially, generator sets will be installed in the island. Solar water heaters have been proposed and photovoltaic system incorporated, the costs of which have already been taken into consideration. Gravity sewers will deliver the sewage with multiple pumping stations, which will be minimized by appropriate design. Treated effluent with low levels of BOD (less than 20mg/l) will be disposed to the sea at not less than 10m below MSL and 5m away from the reef edge. Therefore, the impact from sewage disposal will be almost negligible. In fact, the daily peak flows is quite small that the proposed sea outfall would provide over 500-fold dilution to the sewage effluent even if it were raw sewage, which would occur only in the unlikely event that the sewage treatment plant fails. Hence, no further mitigation measures have been considered for sewage disposal and treatment. In order to minimize the energy-intensive nature of wastewater treatment, it has been recommended to avoid wastewater treatment and to consider direct disposal to sea or ground, if possible. Although the island is located within the atoll, the reef on the east is subjected oceanic swells from the channel between Fonadhoo and Eriyadhoo, therefore, the southeastern side or the north-northeastern side of the island is considered appropriate for disposal of raw sewage. Furthermore, due to the narrow nature of the island, the groundwater is quite saline and a proper groundwater lens is not formed, therefore, sewage and wastewater (being primarily domestic in nature) may be disposed into the ground through a septic tank system. The project encompasses clean technology and alternative energy options will be investigated with specific focus on a solar energy system. This will complement the proposed diesel generator sets. In addition, solar water heaters will be installed to provide hot water to all guest units. Also, to minimize fuel and water consumption, it is proposed to install energy and water efficient technology including faucets. The costs of these would be included in the project. Environmental monitoring has also been incorporated into the project. Arrangements for monitoring during constructional and operational phase will be considered immediately upon EIA approval. Monitoring will be undertaken according to the monitoring programme recommended in this report. Recommended monitoring for the project includes the monitoring of shoreline at predetermined and bench-marked tide levels, beach profiles and drogues at locations given in the EIA report, marine water quality at the location of the intake, brine discharge, sea outfall and a control location, air and groundwater at a location close to the powerhouse and desalination plant and a control location and quality of product water at 3 specified locations including product water tank. Fuel and water production data and clean energy initiatives may also be incorporated. Annual monitoring reports have to be submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency over the monitoring period and shall include fuel and water consumption data and greenhouse gas emission calculations. The overall environmental impacts of the project have been assessed using appropriate matrices and the results indicated that the proposed project has net positive impact. Given that the project has major socio-economic benefits although there would be some negative environmental impacts, it is recommended to allow the project to proceed as proposed.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed harbour rehabilitation at Holhudhoo, Noonu Atoll(2014-02) SandcaysThis report addresses the environmental concerns of the proposed harbour rehabilitation in Holhudhoo, Noonu Atoll. The primary objective of the project is to provide safe and adequate access to the island. As such the project encompasses maintenance dredging of existing entrance channel and basin, replacement of existing quaywall and breakwater and improvement of existing vessel beaching area. The harbour is located on the northern end of the island. This location is appropriate in terms of beach dynamics since beach material hardly moves to this location. It may be possible that only part of the beach on the northwest side moves towards the harbour. As a result the northwest shoreline has been severely eroded and it is the primary location identified for placing the dredge material. It has also been suggested by the members of the community to expand the harbour as far as possible when the existing breakwater with rubble and cement bags is replaced with rock boulders. Since this is possible without much of an additional cost, it is also proposed by the Consultants as the preferred alternative. The proposed concept involves the maintenance dredging of the existing harbour basin and provision of new quay wall and breakwater. However, the concept has not been discussed with the community so far. Therefore, community views that have been incorporated in this EIA report needs to be given consideration in finalising the design. Since, the community has been anxiously waiting for the project for quite some time, it is recommended to allow the proposed project to proceed while further modifications can be finalized in consultation with the relevant stakeholders during the construction phase. The overall environmental impacts of the project have been assessed using appropriate matrices and the results indicated that the proposed project has net positive impact. Given that the project has several socio-economic benefits although there would be some negative environmental impacts, it is recommended to allow the project to proceed as proposed.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.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed coastal modifications Chaaya Lagoon Hakuraa Huraa(2013-10) SandcaysThis report addresses the environmental concerns of the proposed first phase of the coastal modifications including installation of groynes and sand pumping for beach nourishment on the western end of Chaaya Lagoon Hakuraa Huraa, Meemu Atoll. This project has been previously approved and due to delays in implementation, the project is further scrutinized including changes to the proposed shore protection structures and new EIA. Hakuraa Huraa, like several other resorts and inhabited islands across the Maldives, is subjected erosion and coastal protection structures have been constructed. These mainly include the groynes and seawall structures on the eastern side as well as temporary sandbag groynes and revetments on severely eroding areas on the proposed western end of the island. The southern side and the eastern and western ends are prone to severe erosion while the northern side has always had accretion. There had never been any beach nourishment despite having a groyne field on the southern side. Therefore, the effectiveness of the groyne field on the southern side has not been known. The southern side with a long stretch of shallow reef flat faces the atoll rim. Therefore, this side is constantly subjected to the swell-induced crossshore movement of sediment. Hence, groyne field on the southern side may not be effective. However, on the eastern and western ends of the island, there is a strong longshore current and groynes are expected to be quite suitable for these two ends of the island. Hence, a groyne field is proposed for the western side, which is being considered as a first phase of the shore protection project. The groynes will be constructed using rock boulders with a core enclosed by geotextile. A small volume of about 500tons of rock boulders is estimated for the proposed groyne field. In addition, the groyne field and part of the southeastern shoreline will be filled with sand pumped from a location on the southern side where there is ample sand. The location will be about 150m from the island’s shoreline, which is the most practicable distance for sand pumping using most of the sand pumps currently available in the Maldives. A sand pump is most suited due to its small size and dredgers would not be feasible due to the small volume, which is 5,500m3 of sand. The second phase will be implemented based on the success of the first phase and would most probably replicate the groyne field proposed in this phase. However, the second phase components are not considered within the scope of this EIA report. Sand pumping is necessary in order to fill eroded areas even if structural protection is provided. In most cases, regular beach nourishment by pumping sand would be required. However, in the proposed project, what is proposed is a one-off pumping and additional pumping requirements will be established based on findings of follow-up monitoring so that regular beach nourishment for the proposed area will be considered within the scope of the EIA for the second phase. The negative impacts to environment due to the construction of groynes and beach nourishment is mainly during the construction phase which include impacts due to mobilisation, construction noise and machinery movement. However, these are considered to be minor negative given the prevailing environmental conditions at Hakuraa Huraa. The negative impacts of sand pumping for both borrow and fill areas include loss of habitats for some bottom dwelling organisms in the nearshore environment (mud feeding, filter feeding and juvenile fish etc). However, this is not a significant ecosystem in the Maldives, especially in Hakuraa Huraa, where the reef extent is very large and the biodiversity of nearshore ecosystem is low. Therefore, the impact significance is almost negligible. Also, the impact from sedimentation and sediment re-suspension is low due to good flow of currents in the area. There will be no sedimentation impact on the reef. The positive impacts of shore protection and beach nourishment will be that it will help to protect coastal vegetation as well as coastal properties and other amenities, particularly on the south-western corner as well as the northwestern corner, where the coffee shop is under threat of erosion. There will also be socio-economic impacts including tax revenue and short-term employment. The overall environmental impacts of the project assessed using appropriate matrices, professional experience/judgement and the results of continuous environmental monitoring over the past few years indicated that the proposed project is expected to have net positive impacts compared to a few negative environmental impacts. There will be no irreplaceable damage to any of the environmental components. The resort has a comprehensive environmental monitoring plan in place and monitoring recommended under the proposed project will form an integral part of the current practice. Given that the project has several advantages or benefits compared to a few minor negative environmental impacts, it is recommended to allow the project to proceed as proposed.