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Item Environmental impact assessment report for Hulhumale’ swimming area and land based facilities development project(2010-03) Land and Marine Environment Resources group Pvt LtdThe non technical summary outlines the findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment of the proposed development of swimming track and associated land based facilities. The proponent of the project is Housing Development Corporation Plc. The proposed project involves development of a swimming track and associated land based facilities at the eastern side of Hulhumale. The swimming tracks will be 20m by 25m. The total length of both tracks is 50m. The plate form and access jetty will be constructed using floats. Land based area includes, restaurants, kitchens, food outlets, toilets, changing facilities and park (including a small children’s park) A scoping meeting to discuss the development proposal and determine the Terms of Reference (TOR) for the EIA report was held between the Client (Housing Development Corporation Plc), LaMer Group Pvt Ltd as the EIA Consultant, Ministry of Housing, Transport and Environment (water and sanitation section of EPA) and representatives from Environment Protection Agency (EPA) as the Regulator on 23rd November 2009. Data collection or field was carried out during January 2010 for assessment of existing environment. Since the scope of work of the proposed project is small, existing environment data was limited to reef health, general wave, tide condition and seawater quality assessment. The water quality assessment done at the proposed swimming track area revealed alarming levels of Enterococci levels which was probably due to high number of users and disregard to general hygienic values (showering before entry to water). Also it has to be noted that an outfall pipe is location near the swimming track area and this may have some level of leakage (although close inspection showed none. Alternatives are given for location of swimming track area, since contamination of seawater is major social impact. Assessing alternatives the location identified by HDC Plc during consultation with HDC seems to be a better candidate as a location for swimming track. Mitigation measures are discussed for the construction and operational stage of the swimming track area only.Item Post-tsunami infrastructure rehabilitation project : rehabilitation of 6 selected harbors : social and environmental impact assessment for the rehabilitation of the harbor in Makunudhoo island, Haa Dhaal atoll(2007-11) SOGREAH Consultants; Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of a social and environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. and SOGREAH consultants of France upon request from Ministry of Construction and Public Infrastructure. The project involves the rehabilitation of the existing harbour in Makunudhoo, Haa Dhaal Atoll with improved infrastructures. This project is initiated by the government of Maldives with funding from Agence Française de Dévelopement” (AFD) as part of the Tsunami rehabilitation programme. The harbour of Makunudhoo has been damaged to various extents and requires repair and upgrading, including deepening the harbour basin, and increasing slightly the size. A detail assessment of the environmental and social conditions was assessed based on which a rehabilitation project has been proposed. This EIA has been prepared to assess the social and environmental impacts of this proposed rehabilitation project. Major environmental impacts of the project have been identified as resulting mainly from dredging and disposal of dredged materials. Dredging will be undertaken in the harbour basin and to some extent in the access channel. In view of the assessment, the environmental damages to marine resources have not been considered major due to the limited boundary of the project and also due to confined nature of the project. The impacts are likely to be felt on an estimated 5% of the lagoon and reef‐flat of that extensive reef system. These environmental impacts were assessed for both construction and operation phase of the project. Mitigation measures for these anticipated impacts have been identified and outlined in detail, including sedimentation control methods and other measures. These mitigation measures will have to be followed in order to minimize environmental damage. Stakeholder consultations were held with various groups, including the community and the client in order to incorporate the socio‐ economic components in the project. The proposed rehabilitation plans for Makunudhoo has been prepared after considering the needs and requirements from the community by assessing and incorporating the outcomes from the extensive community consultations held during the data collection stage. It is inevitable that there would be some negative environmental impacts, especially when dredging is undertaken. However, these minor negative impacts out weight the socioeconomic benefits gained by rehabilitating the harbour. 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 they are positive, but most importantly in the long term. Therefore, it appears justified from a technical and from an environmental point of view, to carry out the proposed rehabilitation project if the island is to absorb the economic gains achieved by the project.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 Initial environmental examination : for the proposed installation meteorological mast in Gaafaru island, North Kaafu atoll(2010-07) Aleem, AbdulThe purpose of this Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) report is to fulfil the requirements of the Environment Protection and Preservation Act to undertake an assessment of effects on the natural and human environment of the proposed installation of a meterological mast in the island of Gaafaru. The project involves construction of a meteorological mast commonly called “Met Mast” as the first phase of a much larger project, Development and operation of a wind park on the reef of Gaafaru. The development and operation of the Wind Park is a priority for the Government of the Maldives in order to meet the “Carbon Neutral Maldives 2020” strategic goals. In order for this wind park to be feasible, adequate data has to be collected. This proposed project is therefore the first phase of the project which involves installation of an 80 meter tall mast in the island of Gaafaru. The project is proposed in an area of the island where presently there is only boat building activities and the area being open pose no threat to any terrestrial tree species. The project does not involve cutting of any trees to erect the mast and hence is not considered to be environmentally damaging. The mast will be placed on concrete footings which will be buried at a depth of 5 feet and hence ensure that a firm support is provided. A total of seven footings will be constructed and this itself does not pose any environmental threats. The positive impacts or benefits of the project are enormous. These include, the collection of long term regional weather data that is not presently available in Maldives, promotion of renewable energy and increasing the awareness of renewable energy among the public, and lastly but not least, indirect social benefits from the project that results in increased visitors to the island by the project personnel. If data collected in this phase is adequate and feasible, the wind farm project in Gaafaru will take place and hence will bring enormous economic benefits to the island and the country. There are very few environmental impacts and they are also considered to be negligible or very minor. The project is therefore not considered to be of any threat to the environment, but has more social and economic benefits.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 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 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 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.