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Item Environmental impact assessment for extension of Kooddoo Domestic Airport and development of a city hotel Kooddoo, GA. Atoll(2013-12) Adam, M. Shiham; Riyaz, Mahmood1. The domestic airport of Kooddoo was built during 2011 and was officially opened in 2011. This 1,200 m long airstrip in the north eastern side of the Ga Atoll serving the emerging high-end resorts have become one of the busiest and most important domestic airports in the south. It is normal to have 7-8 flights per day with mostly tourist passengers arriving and departing. Also relatively large volume local passengers make use of the route for transferring to the islands in the south or simply commuting on business trips. It was also noticed that guests with reputable business credentials were requesting to resort operators to allow their own air-craft (jet) to fly Kooddoo direct rather than having inconvenient and long layover times at Hulhule Ibrahim Nasir International Airport. 2. In order to address this need the Ministry of Tourism (previously Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture) engaged with the Maldives Civil Aviation Authority and the Ministry of Transport and Communication in a development project to extend the airstrip and also to upgrade and modernize the airport to provide services to international standards. Keong Hong Construction Pte Ltd, a reputable property developer in the region, won the airport development contract through competitive bidding tendered by the Ministry of Tourism. The negotiated contract agreement included development of a 50-room city hotel on Kooddoo and also development of Ga. Maamutaa as an upper-class tourist resort. Under the same agreement the Kooddoo airport will also be managed by Keong Hong Construction Pte Ltd, who now has an Aerodrome Certificate to run the airport under their name 3. Following the new Regulation on Reclamation and Dredging of Islands Lagoon and Reefs a permit for dredging and reclamation work was obtained before the scoping of the project took place. As such all paper works, including the dredging and reclamation permit was submitted for the Scoping Meeting held at EPA and was attended by stakeholders. 4. The scope of this development project is to reclaim about 260 m long and 150 m wide area from both ends of the island to extend the runway to 1,800 m, to dredge and create 500 m long entrance channel from the western corner of the reef connected to a harbour basin with access walkway jetty. The scope also includes the complete development works of the 50-room city hotel including upgrading of airport services and equipment following the expansion airport capacity. The most significant development activity with regards environmental change is the dredging of western side, reclamation of the both ends and development 25 over-water bungalows on the shallow lagoon on the western side. 5. Existing environmental conditions have been revised using the comprehensive set of baseline data gathered for the airport development project in 2011 but supplemented by additional field data gathered during the visit made in late November 2013. These have been used to assess and evaluate the environmental impacts from development activities. For activities with potential to cause significant impacts, appropriate and practical mitigation measures have been proposed. 6. Since management of Kooddoo airport is now under Keong Hong Construction Pte Ltd the plan is to upgrade and expand the utility services (production of water, generation of electrify and overhauling of sewerage system) to meet the additional requirements of the proposed city hotel. As such the developer plans to add on to the existing structures and arrangements as much as possible to cut down development costs and improve efficiency. 7. The developer pans to increase current water production capacity of 150 cubic meters per day to 450 cubic meters per day. This would involve installing and commissioning of 2 x 150 cubic meters day capacity RO plants. Electricity generation will be increased from its current capacity of 250kVA to 3110 kVA by adding 2x800 kVA units and 2x630 kVA units. The current septic sewerage system will be overhauled to modern Membrane Bioreactor (MBR) plant with a capacity to treat 200 cubic meters of sewage water per day The outflow water will have negligible amount of coliforms and so will be used for watering the plants and landscaping work. 8. Installation and commissioning of electricity generation and water production system will be done as per guidelines of the Maldives Energy Authority and Environmental Protection Agency respectively. Similarly, to ensure safety, drilling of boreholes for source water for RO plant and construction of 150,000 liters of fuel storage, and 20,000 liters of petrol will be stored in bunded areas. Environmental issues arising from these developments have been identified and practical mitigation measures have been proposed. It has been recommend that water production system and power generation system should be registered with the authorities before the its full commissioning. 9. Reclamation works and extension of runway will take place whilst the airport is in operation. In order to avoid disruption of flight schedules it is advised the developer/contractor provide method statements, including details on plans and schedule of activities that should be agreed in consultation with the Civil Aviation Authority. Coordination should be maintained at all times between the Air-traffic control tower and developer/contractor. Fortunately since the developer and airport management is the same company it is envisaged that there should not be any problems for this coordination. 10. The estimated volume of material recovered from dredging /excavation works is around 70,000 cubic meters. However, the estimated volume required for reclamation is estimated at 120,000 cubic meters. Alternative borrow areas have been identified to make up for this short fall. The issues were discussed at the Scoping Meeting and it was agreed that area on the south eastern side where the reef-flat is widest may be identified as a potential borrow area. Climate condition and orientation of the Kooddoo reef is such that lagoon often times becomes rough, thus prohibitive safe entry. As such hard structures (breakwaters) have been proposed for the channel and the harbor basin. 11. The proposed reclamation work on either end of the island extends close to the reef edge, creating the possibility of blocking the water exchange from the eastern and western side. It was noted that this may cause disruption of the established longshore drifts flow around the island creating areas of pockets of erosion and accretion. Since it will be difficult to predict such changes, appropriate environmental monitoring have been proposed. The developer/operator is encouraged to follow the monitoring programme and report to the authorities on a regular basis. Environmental monitoring allows detecting environmental change so that appropriate remedial action may be taken or addressed in a timely manner. 12. A Leopold Matrix has been used to classify the magnitude and importance of possible impacts which may arise during the constructional and operational phase of the project. Leopold Matrix is the most widely used methodology for identifying the impact of a project on the environment. It is a two dimensional matrix which cross references between the activities which are foreseen to have potential impacts on the environment and the existing conditions (environmental and social) which could be affected. It was concluded that the short term minor to moderate impacts as identified above outweigh the medium to long term socio-economic benefits to the region, to the tourism sector and to the country in general. 13. Since the Kooddoo Island is going to have three distinct business entities, namely Kooddoo Fisheries Maldives Ltd, Kooddoo Airport, and the Kooddoo City Hotel, the EIA report includes, an officially approved boundary demarcations in Annex 3.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed development of sewerage system at Eydhafushi, Baa Atoll, Maldives(2008-08) Oriental Consultants; Yachiyo EngineeringThis report discusses the findings of a social and environmental impact study undertaken by Oriental Consultants and Yachiyo Engineering of Japan at the request of the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water. Although this is a rehabilitation project, the sewerage system in Eydhafushi is beyond rehabilitation and needs a complete makeover. Therefore, in accordance with the requirements of the EIA Regulation, an EIA is proposed to be done for the proposed project. The project involves the decommissioning of the existing system and development of a new sewerage system in Eydhafushi. This project is initiated by the government of Maldives with funding from Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) as part of the tsunami rehabilitation programme. The existing sewerage system of Eydhafushi was built by the people on a need basis by different individuals connecting their septic tank systems to gravity flow sewer pipes disposing to the lagoon. The system is not so functionable and has some environmental problems, which need to be addressed. The system is similar to the “Small Bore Sewerage System”, which is basically a gravity flow system which the government in collaboration with UNICEF established in some of the most populous island such as Kandholhudhoo and Hinnavaru. The environment of Eydhafushi may be described as well managed, with few environmental problems with appropriate solid waste management, well maintained private sewer lines with nearshore outfalls, clear lagoon which is seeing increasing signs of pollution from nearshore disposal of sewage using multiple outfalls spread around the island, good housing with apropriate ventilation, sound level of urban planning, presence of beach and recreational areas and groundwater less contaminated compared to several islands of similar size and population density. Stakeholder consultations were held with various groups, including the community and the client in order to incorporate the socio‐economic components in the project. It was observed that the community of Eydhafushi is less dependent upon the government than many other islands, which are dependent for reasons of bureaucratic system of government people have been used to. Environmental impacts were assessed for both the construction and operation phase of the project. Most of the environmental impacts of the project have been identified as positive resulting mainly from improvements to groundwater and lagoon water quality and resulting reduction in water‐borne and water‐related diseases and general ill‐health. The main negative impact of the project would be that of excessive drawdown on the aquifer resulting from the improved sewerage system. There are other minor negative impacts such as small amount of excavation to lay the outfall pipe and dewatering to lay the sewer network in some areas including dewatering for the construction of manholes, lift stations and sumpwell at the STP and outfall. These impacts are considered to be moderate but short‐term. The socio‐economic benefits of the project may be considered to outweigh the negative impacts of the project. Mitigation measures for anticipated negative impacts have been identified and outlined in detail, including minimizing dewatering, laying the sewers properly including the outfall, locating the outfall at adequate depth, including secondary treatment before discharging final effluent to sea, removal of existing sewers and outfalls and improvements to lagoon and coastal conditions in order to attain the benefits of the project. The main mitigation measure would be water conservation and measures to minimize drawdown on the aquifer. This is considered necessary whatever the sewerage system, if it uses groundwater for flushing. The proposed design for Eydhafushi sewerage system has been prepared after considering all impacts, discussions with community and consideration of mitigation measures. It is inevitable that there would be some negative environmental impacts. However, these are minor compared to the positive effects of the proposed system. Yet, monitoring to ensure the effectiveness of the proposed system would be necessary. Therefore, a monitoring component has been suggested which takes in to consideration, the most important elements that require regular checks. This monitoring component will be adhered to and will allow the assessment of changes due to construction and implementation of the proposed sewerage system. Monitoring is specifically focussed on ground and surface water quality changes. Reef monitoring is considered inappropriate given the scale of anthropogenic damage to the reefs of Eydhafushi. In conclusion, it appears justified from a technical and environmental point of view, to carry out the proposed project to improve sanitation in Eydhafushi.Item Environmental impact assessment for the development of a slipway in M. Mulah(2013) ReefTAC MaldivesThis Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report has been prepared in order to meet the requirements of Clause 5 of the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act (No. 4/93) of the Maldives to assess the impacts of the proposed construction of a slipway at M. Mulah. The project is proposed by, Abdulla Sodiq of H. Shady Yard, Director of Shady Wood and Metal Works, Pvt. Ltd. Impacts, mitigation measures and recommendations for the different elements of the project are included. The major construction activities of the proposed project are described under ‘Scope of Work’. The project will include the dredging of a slipway basin, widening and deepening of an existing entrance channel, construction of headlands and retaining walls, slipway rails and related infrastructures including staff accommodation and winch room. Approximately 45,000sqft of area will be used for slipway development, of which 5000sqft will be on land. An area of 40,000sqft on the lagoon will be dredged to achieve the required depth of 3-4m for allowing vessels to be maneuvered onto the cradle and then onto the slipway rail. Two slipway rails of 320ft in length will be constructed at the site. An estimated 220,000cbft of will be dredged to create a slipway basin. Sand taken from this area will be used for road leveling. The existing entrance channel will be widened at narrow points to achieve a width of 35-40ft and the middle 20ft will be deepened to achieve a depth of 3-4m. Sand taken from the channel area will be used to make retaining walls along the channel. The proposed project will be carried out over a period of 7-8 months and all developmental activities will be carried out within the allocated land and marine area leased to the developer by the Island Council. Under the chapter ‘Scope of Work’, the inputs and outputs of the project are outlined. Inputs are provided with information on type of input, its source, and how it is obtained. Outputs are provided with the information on type of output, its source, and method of disposal. The next chapter, ‘Description of the Environment’, describes the general environmental setting and geographic location of M. Mulah. The monthly average values of temperature, rainfall and sunshine are included as well as baseline data collected on a field survey trip to the site, and results are provided in this section. Subsections of this chapter include bathymetry, beach profiles, vegetation, terrestrial fauna, wind speed, wave data, current speed and direction, sediment transportation, temperature, rainfall and humidity. Water samples were collected to achieve an understanding of the natural water quality parameters and to assist in conducting monitoring programs. The marine environment in the area for slipway development was surveyed during site. Fish counts and coral and substrate analyses were carried out. The average live coral cover across all sampled points is 23%. All activities during both construction and operational stages of the proposed slipway development project will be carried out in accordance with existing plans, policies, guidelines, laws and regulations of the Maldives and relevant international conventions to which Maldives is party to. The applicable policies, laws and regulations include the Environment Law, Environment Protection and Preservation Act 1993 (EPPA), Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2012, Strategic Economic Plan, Transport Master Plan, National Environment Action Plan III, National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, Protected Areas and Environmentally Sensitive Areas, Regulation on Sand and Aggregate mining, Regulation on Coral Mining, Regulation on Removal of Trees, International Conventions, Treaties and Protocols. Under the chapter of ‘Potential Impacts on the Natural Environment and Mitigation Measures’ details of potential environmental impacts and relevant mitigation measures for minimizing those are provided. The main environmental impacts of the proposed project will be the damages caused during construction and irreversible modification of the marine environment as a result of excavation of the slipway basin, widening and deepening of the entrance channel and potential impacts from the operation of the slipway. The establishment of the proposed slipway is anticipated to have numerous positive impacts to the socio-cultural environment, including direct and indirect employment opportunities and a boost in the economy of the island as well as the atoll. The chapter on ‘Alternatives’ discusses the possible alternatives to the various components of the proposed project with their key advantages and disadvantages followed by recommendations. This includes the ‘no project option’ and its’ advantages, disadvantages and recommendations. An environmental monitoring and management plan is included, which is necessary to ensure that probable impacts are identified and mitigation measures swiftly implemented It is mandatory to submit a detailed monitoring report to the Environment Protection Agency of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. Consultations and inter-agency coordination was carried out to discuss the components of the project between relevant stakeholders. All consulted stakeholders were supportive of the proposed slipway project. Details of these meetings are provided. This EIA demonstrated that both short and long term impacts are expected to arise from the development of the proposed slipway project at M. Mulah. This includes negative environmental impacts to the marine and terrestrial environment and mainly positive impacts to the socio-cultural environment. After consideration of predicted impacts and identification of appropriate mitigation measures, the consultant concludes that the project is feasible, given all applicable laws and the recommendations of this EIA are adhered to and the monitoring program carried out as outlined. ReefTAC Maldives Pvt. Ltd. acknowledges the work of all participants involved in the collection of data and preparation of this EIA, and wishes to thank the Proponent, Mulah Island Council and the citizens of M. Mulah for their continuous assistance and cooperation throughout the period of this EIA.Item Environmental impact assessment : coral frame project at Makunufushi, Kaafu Atoll(2013-04) Systems Engineering and Marine ConsultingThe potential environmental impacts of the development of a coral propagation project on the island of Makunufushi operated by Cocoa Island Resort are assessed. 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. 2. It is important to be proactive in reef restoration. Therefore, the resort management wishes to enhance the aesthetic and recreational value of the property by propagating corals using a technique already demonstrated in the Maldives, the coral frames. 3. The coral frames will be deployed in the vilu, near the two northern jetties between 1 and 10 m depth and along the south-western jetty at about 2 m depth. Coral fragments will be attached by a marine biologist and these small fragments will develop into full colonies within a few years. Coral fragments from the house reef will provide a small number of fragments and the mother colonies will heal rapidly. Preference will be given to damaged colonies. 2000 frames of 1 m2 will be initially deployed, and after the first batch, the existing frames will provide fragments for transplantation in the future. 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. 4. Makunufushi is a 620 m long island located on the south western part of the reef. The northern side of the reef is protected inside the lagoon, whereas the southern side is located in Kandooma Kandu, a major channel into the South Male’ Atoll. 5. In Kandooma Kandu, the strong current is incoming or outgoing depending on the tides. The diffracted waves from the oceanic swell reach the southern coast of the island and also the northern coast from a north-east direction. The wind waves lead to an extension of the eastern tip during the south-west monsoon and of the western tip during the north-east monsoon. 6. Photographic transects were used to assess the benthic cover of 10 sites, where 10 pictures in each transect is analyzed using 25 point randomly chosen to obtain quantitative substrate cover data of morphological characteristics of the reef community. The dominant substrate was rock (52.72±12.62%) followed by live coral (21.6±6.61%) and rubble (17.04±8.99%). The coral cover was significantly higher on the north side than on the southern part of the reef flat (27.0±7.30% vs 5.80±1.93%) and on the slope at 20 m (24.8±8.81% vs 2.4±5.54%). Furthermore, Acropora sp. seemed to dominate the northern reef (between 45 and 95% of relative coral cover) whereas Coral encrusting is the major coral category at south (between 48 and 64% of relative coral cover). 7. For the fish community survey, data was collected using the methodology outlined by FishWatch Maldives, where 3 x 15 minute fish counts were made at each site. Surveys were carried out at 4 sites. Thirty nine of the 76 FishWatch target species were recorded among 15 families. The species on the target list with the greatest density were as follows: Lutjanus gibbus (33.17%), Zanclus cornutus (8.35%) and Chaetodon collare (6.14%). On the northern side, Chaetodontidae (25%) and Serranidae (23%) were the most abundant families, whereas it was Lutjanidae (56%) and Chaetodontidae (15%) on the southern reef. 8. Disturbance to the sea bed will be minimal as coral frames will mostly be installed on a rocky substrate and will be elevated 6 feet. Coral frames are made of 12mm thin iron bars, which creates very little drag for water flow. 9. It has been noticed that coral frames attract and recruit a lot of fish life and increases the complexity of the reef. It is anticipated that this will also be the case in Makunufushi, the area eventually developing into a more productive reef. This work will directly improve the aesthetics and the reef complexity of the area, which will also improve the recreational value of the resort. 10. To avoid the loss of biodiversity among corals, a wide array of species will be tried out. The project will focus on Acropora sp. as it represents the most dominant coral family in the Maldives, but other families will also be transplanted such as Pocillopora sp., Psammocora sp. and Echinopora sp.. 11. If frames are not transplanted or pruned properly or the location is unsuitable, corals may die, though in majority of the previous projects, this has not been encountered, and the result has been found to be very positive. As possible death of fragments and donor colonies are the only problem that need to be mitigated, if necessary, they will both be monitored as part of the study. When choosing donors, priority will be given to those corals that have already been damaged by natural or anthropological activities, and eventually the corals grown on the frames will be used to provide fragments. 12. The do nothing scenario will probably lead to more decrease in coral cover, and the aesthetics of the reef will not improve. The resort may also lose some of its public relations benefits as they will not be seen as being proactive in its environmental restoration.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed agriculture project on Dhandhoo, Baa. Atoll(2013-03) Adam, M. Shiham; Riyaz, MahmoodBaa Atoll Hanifaru was leased in 2008 to Mr. Mohamed Shareef of Maafannu Sunny Coast to develop agricultural activities. Following Environmental Regulation, an EIA Screening Form was submitted to EPA during early 2009. However, after elapse of some considerable period, the erstwhile Ministry of Housing and Environment declared Hanifaru Bay (lagoon) as a protected site under environmental law. Later Hanifaru was also declared as a protected site. In order compensate for this unexpected ‘taking away’ of Hanifaru, the Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture, in consultation with Mr. Mohamed Shareef, arranged an alternative island – Baa Dhandhoo. The proposal under consideration is to develop Baa Atoll Dhandhoo as an agricultural island along with three other minor functions. The primary business model is based on production of high quality agricultural products. The island would also be a facility providing complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) services. To complement this function a small nursery of about 4,000 sq feet is proposed to grow indigenous medicinal plants that are becoming rare/extinct. Finally a small visitor centre is proposed which would allow visitors to learn about the activities on the island. Two main approaches − the AutoPot and hydroponics systems − are proposed for the production of rock-melon, cucumber, capsicum, chillies, lettuce, tomatoes etc. The growth system is completely contained either in the grow pots or in water medium. The main development feature of the island is 6 x 4,000 sq feet green houses to set up the AutoPot and hydroponics system. The green houses will be imported and assembled at site. Similarly the AutoPot system will be imported and assembled at site. The hydroponics system will be constructed locally from the imported material. Construction of the buildings will be kept to a minimum; staff accommodation, kitchen / dining facilities will be constructed to accommodate no more than 15 people for the agricultural works. Treatment rooms for CAM treatments will be built on the northern side of the island. A small stilt-jetty is constructed on the western side of the island. A complete list of the buildings is given in the layout plan. The island would be self-contained, and so water production and power generation will take place on the island. An RO plant of 10 cubic meters / day capacity is proposed with intake from the lagoon. To supplement the water production rainwater will be harvested from every possible roof on the island. A 25kW diesel power generator will installed for producing electricity. Storage of diesel on the island will be minimal transporting the required amounts from the nearby islands. The baseline environmental conditions were assessed using standard methods. Significant erosion was observed on the north-western and northern side of the island while accretion was evident on the western side. There appears to be a directional shift of the island to west. However, observation of such magnitude of movement has entirely due to seasonal erosion and accretions have been observed in some islands of Baa Atoll. No interventions for mitigating erosion were proposed at this stage. Biannual monitoring of shoreline was proposed to determine the seasonal dynamics of the island beach. No hard structures are proposed at this stage. A Leopold Matrix was used to determine the scale and extent of the impacts. The short-term environmental impact from this development project would to the island ecosystem from clearance of vegetation. About 60-80 palms may have to remove and/or relocated for the development work that will be replaced accordingly. Loss of top-soil, and shade and the clearance may affect the vegetation around the periphery. It is recommended that clearance take place only where necessary. Septic tanks systems have been proposed for disposing human waste and pose no long-term negative environmental impact considering the small number of people expected to be based on the island. It is recommended that non-biodegradables should be regularly removed from the island for disposal in to another island with arrangement made with the Council. Biodegradable waste from the plant material will be left to appropriately degrade on the island, thereby contributing nutrients pool of the island ecosystem. The Atoll Council and the resorts were consulted regarding the project and their views were considered. There was full support of the Council and no issues were highlighted. There were also no issues raised from the resorts except they wished see only minimal landscape Impacts during the operation phase are considered to be negligible. Overall the impact from the Project will be positive – demonstration of effective economic and sustainable use of uninhabited small islands inducing encouragement for climatesmart type agriculture.Item Environmental impact assessment : L. Dhabidhoo harbor development project(2012-12) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of a social and environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. at the request of Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure for the proposed harbour rehabilitation project at L. Dhanbidhoo. L. Dhanbidhoo is located on the northern rim of Laamu Atoll and has a population of 800. The island economy depends mainly on agriculture. The existing harbour at the island was constructed in 90’s. The quay wall was constructed using corals. The quay wall had been badly damaged and the harbour has become too small to cater the large and deep draft vessels which call to the harbour. Hence the proposed project is to develop the existing harbour which can cater the growing demand for the vessels which will be using the islands for the next 15 years. The proposed harbour development project includes, construction of 197 m of quay on eastern, southern and northern side of the harbour using L blocks, deepening the harbour basin to – 3 at mean sea level, development of a harbour basin by 137 m long and 78 m wide, construction of 150 m rock boulder breakwater using dredged material as the core material. The project also includes deepening of the three access channels to a depth of – 3m at MSL. As part of the project, market lights would be place at the entrance channels. The excavation work of the project is expected to generate around 34,900 m3 of dredged materials of which 6,000 m3 is expected to be used as core materials of the breakwater, 12,000 m3 as back filling at the quay walls and 16,900 m3 to replenish the area of the beach on southern end of the harbour. 60 m long revetment would be constructed north and south of the harbour to protect the harbour from erosion. Environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the project were assessed. The impacts of the project result mainly from excavation of the harbour basin and entrance channel and disposal of excavated materials. The impact of excavation would be that of sedimentation. This impact is considered to be minor and short-term. Re-excavation of the entrance channels and harbour basin would have irreversible impacts. The project would help to address the current erosion problem by replenishing the eroding beach with the materials borrowed from the harbour basin. The socio-economic benefits of the project may be considered to outweigh the negative impacts of the project on the physical environment of the island especially increasing the usable space on the quay wall, mooring area at the island’s harbour and additional land that would be available to develop fish processing industry. The proposed project conforms to prevalent environmental legislation and thrives to achieve its objectives in an environmentally friendly manner. Mitigation measures for these anticipated impacts have been identified and outlined in detail, including sedimentation and stagnation control methods and measures for minimizing negative effects demolition of the quay wall and the generation of construction waste. These mitigation measures need to be followed in order to minimize environmental damage. The details of the project have been established after considering the needs and requirements of the community by assessing and incorporating the outcomes from the community consultations held during the data collection stage. The EIA also allowed to explore alternatives for the proposed development and identified key mitigation strategies. Alternative locations and alternative designs have been investigated for the different components of the project. However, the present project design seems to be a feasible option in terms of costs, durability and safety. An environmental management plan with environmental monitoring plan has been developed including important elements that require regular checks. This monitoring component will be adhered to and will allow the assessment of changes due to construction of the harbour. Although the project involves inevitable negative environmental impacts, such impacts are not severe as to not undertake the project. The project is justifiable in light of the socioeconomic conditions and anticipated benefits resulting from the project, which seem to outweigh the negative environmental impacts.Item Environmental impact assessment for the development of a mariculture project in R. Fenfushi(2013) ReefTAC MaldivesThis Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was prepared to fulfill the requirements of Clause 5 of the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act (No. 4/93) of the Maldives for assessing the potential environmental impacts associated with the development of a mariculture project in R. Fenfushi. The project is proposed by Seaharvest Maldives Pvt. Ltd. This report identifies both negative and positive impacts that may arise from the implementation of the proposed project, during both construction and operation. Justifications and rationale are provided for implementing the various components of the project. Mitigatory measures are suggested for swift action should a negative impact arise. An environmental monitoring plan that will aid in measuring the actual impacts of the proposed project is also included. The major activities of the proposed project are described under ‘Scope of Work’. The project will be implemented in two phases which upon completion will include the construction of jetties, sea-cages, packing facility, shore protection, powerhouse, plant nursery, hatchery facility, accommodation blocks and related infrastructures. Approximately 176.9sqm of land area will be used for the development. The proposed project will be carried out over a period of 8 months. The project will involve the culture of Epinephelus fuscoguttatus, Brown-marbled Grouper in sea-cages. A hatchery facility will be established by the end of Phase 2, where E. fuscoguttatus will be bred, eggs incubated and larvae raised through to fingerling stage prior to fattening in sea-cages for harvest. The next chapter, ‘Description of the Environment’, describes the general environmental setting and geographic location of R. Fenfushi. Climate and physical factors including the monthly average values of temperature, rainfall and sunshine as well as baseline data collected on a field survey trip to the site are provided in this section. Subsections include bathymetry, beach profiles, vegetation, terrestrial fauna, wind speed, wave data, current speed and direction, sediment transportation, temperature, rainfall and humidity. Water samples were collected to achieve an understanding of the natural water quality parameters and to assist in conducting monitoring programs. Biological factors were also assessed, including marine substrate and coral analyses, fish counts and socio-economic surveys. All activities during both construction and operational stages of the proposed mariculture project will be carried out in accordance with existing plans, policies, guidelines, laws and regulations of the Maldives and relevant international conventions to which Maldives is party to. The applicable policies, laws and regulations include the Environment Law, Environment Protection and Preservation Act 1993 (EPPA), Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2012, Strategic Economic Plan, National Environment Action Plan III, The Fisheries Act, National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, Protected Areas and Environmentally Sensitive Areas, Regulation on Sand and Aggregate mining, Regulation on Coral Mining, Regulation on Removal of Trees, Waste and Wastewater Regulations and Policies and International Conventions, Treaties and Protocols. Under the chapter of ‘Potential Impacts on the Natural Environment and Mitigation Measures’ details of potential environmental impacts and relevant mitigation measures are provided. The main environmental impacts of the proposed project will be from clearing of vegetation, piling for jetty construction, and fattening fish in the lagoon. Though access to fishermen will become restricted, the project is anticipated to bring about positive direct and indirect impacts to the socio-economic environment. The chapter on ‘Alternatives’ discusses the possible alternatives to the various components of the proposed project with their key advantages and disadvantages followed by recommendations. This includes the ‘no project option’ and its’ advantages, disadvantages and recommendations. An environmental monitoring and management plan is included, which is necessary to ensure that changes and impacts to the environment are identified and mitigation measures swiftly implemented. It is mandatory to submit detailed monitoring reports to the Environment Protection Agency of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. Consultations and inter-agency coordination was carried out to discuss the components of the project between relevant stakeholders. All consulted stakeholders were supportive of the proposed slipway project. Details of these meetings are provided. This EIA demonstrated that both short and long term impacts are expected to arise from the development of the proposed mariculture project at R. Fenfushi. This includes negative environmental impacts to the marine and terrestrial environment and mainly positive impacts to the socio-cultural environment. After consideration of predicted impacts and identification of appropriate mitigation measures, the consultant concludes that the project is feasible, given all applicable laws and the recommendations of this EIA are adhered to and the monitoring program carried out as outlined. ReefTAC Maldives Pvt. Ltd. acknowledges the work of all participants involved in the collection of data and preparation of this EIA, and wishes to thank the Proponent, Raa Atoll Council and residents of R. Fainu, Kinolhas and Meedhoo for their continuous assistance and cooperation throughout the period of this EIA.Item Addendum to the environmental impact assessment for Three Islands, B. Thulhaadhoo(2011-06) Miruza, MohamedThe report is an addendum to the “Environmental Impact Assessment Report, Three Islands – B. Thulhaadhoo” report. The need for an addendum occurred to investigate any environmental impacts that may occur as a result of the proposed harbour expansion at B. Thulhaadhoo. The report documents the finding of the study carried out. The original Environment Impact Assessment undertook extensive surveys and research to determine the impacts carried out within a large study area including the area for the proposed harbour extension. General information on the island is therefore not provided in this addendum and is referred to this document. Furthermore, where substantial information is provided in the initial EIA on site specific data relevant for the harbour expansion, such information is highlighted in this EIA without the need for further field investigations. The study finds that there are no significant environmental impacts caused due to the proposed harbour expansion. However, the report does highlight some of the additional impacts that may occur and related mitigation measures have been provided for these. The report provides a monitoring plan for the new development while also referring to the initial monitoring plan proposed in the original EIA for continuous investigation of the environment for a sustainable development.Item Environmental assessment on proposed beach nourishment and environmental audit on desalination and power generation activities, Vakarufalhi Island Resort, South Ari Atoll, Maldives(2011-07) SandcaysThis report is on two components including an environmental audit on existing desalination and power generation facilities and environmental impact assessment of proposed beach nourishment in Vakarufalhi Island Resort. The audit addresses the environmental concerns of the existing desalination plant and power generation facilities in Vakarufalhi Island resort. The primary objective of the audit exercise is to renew desalination plant registration. Having an environmental clearance statement is a requirement the registration of desalination plants. There is one seawater desalination plant with daily production capacity 300m3 in which feed water intake and brine concentrate discharge is on the eastern side of the island. The overall performance of the desalination plant in Vakarufalhi Island Resort is adequate and acceptable. The electrical conductivity of product water was found at 50μS/cm and no coliforms were detected from product water. The groundwater quality in terms of salinity was found at 1,700μS/cm (considered as measure of salinity); this shows the aquifer is normal. Total estimated area of proposed beach filling is at 3,140m2 with an estimated volume of sand to be filled at 4,710m3. This estimation is based on the existing beach condition at the time this survey was undertaken. A monitoring program has been outlined at the end of the report which can be implemented for environmental quality improvement and informed decision making. In particular of water quality monitoring and daily log maintenance at plant site. The overall performance of the seawater desalination facility and powerhouse in Vakarufalhi Island Resort is at adequate and acceptable condition. Key aspects of the operations are in compliance to desalination plant registration regulations in Maldives. Noise emissions meet the requirements of Maldives Energy Authority and acceptable standards. The overall environmental impacts of the proposed beach nourishment indicated that there continuous beach nourishment at Vakarufalhi does not have major adverse impacts on the environment as far as current knowledge is concerned. Given that the project has major socio-economic benefits and some environmental benefits, it is advisable to allow the project to proceed as proposed. It is also recommended to continue to monitor the impacts of the proposed project by regular monitoring of shorelines, beach profiles and nearshore currents for at least two years and communicate and feed the data into the EIA system in the country.Item Environmental impact assessment for the coastal protection project at Coco Palm Boduhithi Island Resort(2012-07) Water Solutions