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Item Environmental impact assessment for the construction of the harbour in Magoodhoo, Faafu Atoll, Maldives(2014-07) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. upon request from Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure for the proposed harbour development project in F. Magoodhoo. F. Magoodhoo is located on the southern rim of Faafu atoll and has a population of 781. Majority of the island community depend on fishing as their main economic activity. Until now, the island has no modern harbour facility and is one of the most crucial issues faced by the island community. This project is initiated by the government of Maldives as part of its national programme to provide safe harbour to each and every inhabited island of Maldives. Presently, lack of a harbour is an obstacle for the economic expansion and diversification of the island. Lack of a harbour in Magoodhoo has many developmental obstacles for the island. At present the only way to access the island is by means of a damaged jetty on the north side of the island. For mooring the vessels, fisherman and other vessel owners use deep lagoons within the island reef system. In rough weather, getting in out of the island is almost impossible. Some of the vessels have to go to a nearby harbour for mooring in unfavourable weathers. This is the dilemma the islanders have faced until now. The construction of the harbour includes the following: Construction of a quay wall on inner side and both ends of the harbour using Tshaped concrete blocks. Deepening the harbour basin to 3 meters at mean sea level. Dredging of the harbour basin which is 506 feet long and 214 feet wide. Construction of 689 feet long breakwater with rock boulders. Reclamation of the area between the harbour and shoreline by using dredged material from the harbour basin. Dredging of an access channel to a depth of 3 meters at Mean Sea Level (MSL). The dredging work for the project is expected to generate around 33,239 m3 of dredged material. The dredged material will be used for reclamation purpose. A 22 m long revetment would be constructed on east side of both ends of the harbour to protect the reclaimed area from erosion. This project will be followed by a reclamation project proposed by the island council (scope of which is not covered in this EIA). The proposed project is therefore geared towards developing a third generation harbour on the north side of the island with an entrance channel and breakwaters to protect the harbour basin. Since, the harbour is proposed to be constructed on the lagoon, the area between the harbour and island shoreline will be reclaimed using the dredged material from harbour basin. The harbour is expected to ease many of the challenges faced by the islanders, especially for the vessel owners, as safe mooring will be guaranteed. A detail environmental assessment was undertaken for this project and the findings are reported in this EIA. This EIA has been prepared to assess the social and environmental impacts of this proposed project. As this is a completely new development, significant negative impacts on the island marine environment will be felt through permanent habitat modification and direct destruction of the marine environment. Similarly, the coral reef will be directly and indirectly impacted for this project. As the same time, the socio-economic impacts of this project will be significantly felt on a very large scale and not necessarily for the islanders only. In such projects, environmental damage cannot be avoided and hence the goal should be to undertake the works in the most least damaging manner. As a large area of the marine and coastal environment will be affected, careful implementation of the mitigation measures and adopting methods which minimizes the damage will be the key for this project. Most of these measures are the best practice guidelines and protocols that does not require sting financially to implement. Stakeholder consultations were held with various groups including island council and the client in order to incorporate the socio-economic components in the project. Stakeholders, most importantly the island community representatives were the most significant as they have the maximum knowledge and experience from the daily difficulties faced due to lack of a harbour. The development of the harbour in Magoodhoo will have significant environmental impacts to the island, most of which will be felt on the coastal and the marine environment. The project takes place in an environment that has not been modified or damaged previously. However, natural erosion of the island has been affected to the southern area of the island. The biggest threat to the islands when a harbour is developed is the disruption it causes to natural movement of the beach. Social impacts of this project will be significant and will benefit the community as well as the region. The development of a harbour in Magoodhoo is expected to bring many beneficiaries to island community. Although the project involves inevitable negative impacts, the project is justifiable in light of the socio-economic conditions and anticipated benefits resulting from this project. Therefore, it is justifiable to undertake the project.Item Environment impact assessment for the proposed tourist resort and marina development project in Madivaafaru Island, Raa Atoll(2014-04) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this document is to fulfil the requirements to get necessary environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement the proposed resort and marina development project in Madivaafaru Island, Raa Atoll. Madivaafaru Island was initially leased for tourism in 2011 in conjunction with the proposed airport development project in Ifuru. Both these islands were awarded on the condition that Ifuru Island Airport be operational before the resort opens. Ifuru airport is nearing completion and is scheduled to open in mid-2014. The proponent of this project is Ifuru Investments Pvt Ltd. The project is a joint venture between the Government of Maldives and Ifuru Investments to partly to ensure that the Ifuru airport is operation and partly to ensure that more beds are operational in Raa Atoll. The main rationale for the project is to develop tourism in the outer atolls of the Maldives to increase the tourism bed capacity and their contribution to the local and national economic growth. Tourism development lags behinds in Raa Atoll and this project is expected to increase the speed of development in the atoll. The objective of this project is to develop and operate a five star resort on Madivaafaru Island. The project broadly involves development and operation a stand-alone 56 bed resort and a 24 berth marina. The proposed project covers nine main components: construction of island transport infrastructure; construction of the back-of-the-house and administrative infrastructure; construction of guest rooms; construction of guest facilities; construction of utilities – sewerage, power and water infrastructure; construction of a 24 berth marina; Landscaping and; resort operations. The project is estimated to take 24 months to complete. All project designs are in conformance to the laws and regulations of the Maldives, and relevant international conventions that Maldives is party to. The key laws and regulations applicable to this project are: Environmental Protection and Preservation Act, Decentralization Act, Tourism Act, tourism resort development regulations, Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2012, Waste Management Regulation, Regulation on Cutting Down and Uprooting Trees and Dewatering Regulation. Approvals have been granted for the concept by the Ministry of Tourism. Further approvals are required before construction and operations. An approval is required for the proposed channel clearing activity under the Dredging and Reclamation Regulation. Madivaafaru Island is a small island approximately 300 m long and 90 m wide, and has a land area of approximately 2.1 Ha within vegetation and 3 Ha within high tide line in March 2014. The island is generally in pristine condition, apart from its terrestrial environment. Its vegetation is very young comprising mainly of coastal littoral shrubs and a few introduced trees. The water quality is poor. It has deep lagoon and a natural reef entrance which is to be used for the marina development. Its reef condition is good on the eastern side but poor on the western side. One of the most important finding from this assessment is the volatility of the coastal environment particularly during the last 5 years. Over the last two years the impacts have been so dramatic that most of the structures initially planned on land based on 2012 studies are now all in the water. The size of the island combined with the volatility of beach environment makes it a very unsafe island to build land based structures closer to the beach. Given the limited land area, not building closer to the beach is also not an option. This island is highly vulnerable to climate change and potential sea level rise and could be among the first group islands that are severely affected. The negative impacts from this project are typical impacts associated with resort development in Maldives. The most significant impact from this project during construction stage would be the loss of live coral colonies due to reef entrance clearance, removal of limited vegetation, excavation and dewatering, changes to coastal processes due to coastal developments, degradation of the terrestrial and marine environment due to the worker activities, lost marine life due to overwater construction and disposal of waste. Main social impacts include potential conflicts with the atoll public if equal job opportunity is not available for construction stage or operations stage of the resort. Negative impacts during operations stage are the impacts on marine flora and fauna due to potentially high number of vessels using the lagoon and marina, impacts on the beach due significant erosion and accretion patterns and social impacts associated with foreign workers or general lack of opportunities. Apart from the impacts from this project on the environment, the coastal environment itself will have a major impact on the project itself. Severe erosion is likely to continue and if left unprotected, it will pose serious challenges and economic losses for the operation of the property. If the coastal structures are erected, it will reduce the aesthetic beauty of the island and will permanently later the coastal processes. The project mainly has positive socio-economic benefits, including increased direct and indirect job opportunities and tourism growth. The key mitigation measures proposed for the construction stage include finding options to mitigate severe erosion on the island. Uncontrolled erosion would have significant financial costs on the investment and will face severe erosion issues during operation stage. A number of mitigation measures have been proposed in this assessment to mitigate the most significant impacts associated with the development, including reef clearance, worker activities, vegetation removal, marine construction, excavation works and utilities operation. Alternatives options were evaluated for the activities that are identified to have significant impacts on the project. The most important finding is that the environmental and financial costs of going forward with this project on Madivaafaru Island is higher than considering an alternative site. Alternative islands have been suggested for the project including Kottefaru, Naainfaru and Faarufushi. Other alternatives considered, should the project goes ahead in Madivaafaru, includes an extensive coastal protection system, alternative options for reef entrance, alternative methods for dredging and changes to site plan. It has been recommended to move this project to a more stable and slightly larger island. Consultations were held with the island councils and public of Ugoofaaru, Dhuvaafaru and Maakurathu. This project has strong support from the island communities and all site plans have been seen by the Island Councils. There is a general dissatisfaction due to the slow pace of resort development projects in the atoll. The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for this project is designed to produce a framework for anticipated impacts, including practicable and achievable performance requirements and systems for monitoring, reporting and implementing corrective actions. In addition, provide evidence of compliance to legislation, policies, guidelines and requirements of relevant authorities. Monitoring plan is designed to assess any changes to the physical environment as well as operational aspects of the resort. The total cost of mitigation and monitoring are estimated between US$15,000 per year. The main conclusion of this report is to relocate the proposed development to another island on grounds of its small size, coastal instability and future vulnerability to erosion hazards and climate change. It is also recommended to designate the island as a sensitive coastal environment and to prevent any physical developments on the island for the next 10 years. However, given the financial implications and legal complications that may be associated with such a drastic action, the final decision should rest on the outcome of a discussion between the proponent and the Ministry of Tourism. Should the project go ahead, extensive shore protection will be necessary and proponent should accept coastal adaptation may be an ongoing expenditure during operation as well.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed resort development Maareha Gaaf Alif Atoll, Maldives(2014-04) SandcaysThis report addresses the environmental concerns of the proposed development of a resort on Maareha, Gaafu Alifu Atoll. The island is about 16.5hectares in its size and is located on a shared reef system at the eastern side of Gaafu Alifu Atoll. The Proponent of the proposed development is Moving International Pvt. Ltd. The Proponent proposes to develop a modern resort on Maareha with 20-bed Family Villas, 98-bed Water villas, 208-bed Beach Bungalows, 84-bed Beach Twin Villas and 4-bed Presidential Villas. Furthermore, it also includes Arrival Pavillion, Diving school, Medical Clinic, Mosque, Service jetty, Main Restaurant, Souvenir and Jewellery shops, Coffee shop / Bar, Swimming pool, Sports and recreation center for guests, Cinema, AV room, Karoake, Disco, Water Sports Center, Football Ground, Basketball Court, Tennis Court, Spa Complex, Children Play, Recycle House, Staff Recreation Center, Staff Training Center, Cafes and different utilities including desalination plant, sewage treatment plant, waste management center and powerhouse. 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 sedimentation on the areas of the housereef on the west where the proposed harbour and access channel will be developed and the impact of deforestation due to land clearance for proposed buildings. These impacts are inevitable. Yet, every effort is to be made to minimize the impact and footprint of the impact. The impact of sedimentation on the reef will be minimized by taking into consideration appropriate hydrodynamic and tidal conditions, creating settlement basins as the dredging activity proceeds or by using silt screens. 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. The negative impacts of the water villas include impacts on sediment transport around the northwestern side of Maareha and some minor degree of sedimentation on the reef nearby. There will be no impact on neighbouring Medhuhutta, which is about 50m, due to the strong currents in the channel between the two islands (over 0.5m/s) helping them to behave as two separate littoral systems. However, there are uncertainties given the lack of data and hence monitoring hydrodynamics and changes to shoreline of both islands during the construction as well as operational phase will further help to evaluate this impact more accurately. To minimize this impact on longshore sediment transport, the walkways of water villas will stand on piles with their footings buried in the seabed. The impact of sedimentation will be minimized by taking care to move the water villas as far away from the live reef areas as possible and transplanting any live corals that may be directly impacted. 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. 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 Thilafushi if a regional landfill or waste management site does not exist. 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 and only a single pumping station will be used. 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. The project encompasses clean technology and an initial investment worth a million dollars would be spent on 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 have already been 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 level, 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, 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. 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 Environment impact assessment for the proposed airport development project in Maafaru Island, Noonu Atoll(2014-12) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this document is to fulfil the requirements to get necessary environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement the proposed airport development project at Maafaru Island, Noonu Atoll. The proponent of this project is Millenium Capital Management (MCM) Private Limited, Male’ Maldives. The southern half of Maafaru Island has been leased by the Island Council and Regional Airport to the proponent in 2013. Maafaru Island is one of the largest inhabited islands in Noonu Atoll and the airport is being built on the uninhabited southern half of the island. Maafaru Island was originally leased to Noonu Hotels Private Limited for airport development. An EIA was prepared and approved for the original project in 2009. Since then, the Government has cancelled the agreement with Noonu Hotels. It was then rebid and MCM won the rights to develop the airport. This EIA is to get the approvals for their revised airport development plan. The aim of this project is to improve the transport link between Male’ and north central Maldives, particularly Noonu Atoll. The project involves construction of a domestic airport on Maafaru Island. The airport will consist of a 1800m runway, aircraft parking aprons, passenger terminal, air traffic control facilities, fire and safety facilities and utilities among others. The airport will also dredge a reef entrance and harbour basin, and construct a jetty specifically to access the airport. The eastern shoreline of the airport will be protected using a revetment. The operation stage of the project involves operating the domestic airport. The main components of this project are mobilization and setup; vegetation clearance, dredging reef entrance and harbour basin; backfilling and levelling low lying areas and marshlands in Maafaru; constructing runway and apron; constructing service building and utilities; establishing air traffic controls, fire and safety and navigation systems; and constructing shore protection measures. All project designs are in conformance to the laws and regulations of the Maldives, and relevant international conventions that Maldives is party to. The key laws and regulations applicable to this project are: Environmental Protection and Preservation Act, Decentralization Act, Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2012, Waste Management Regulation, Regulation on Cutting Down and Uprooting Trees, Dredging and Reclamation Regulation, and Dewatering Regulation. Preliminary approvals have been granted for the concept by MoFA. This project has Dredging and Reclamation Approval has also been granted by EPA. In addition, there are a number of permits to be obtained for the operation of aerodrome. The presence of mangrove vegetation poses a challenge to meet the requirements of the Regulation on Cutting Down and Uprooting Trees but the small number of trees involved makers it suitable for relocation. The proposed site has been modified due to human activities. Overall, the island and reef system represents a typical inhabited island with modified vegetation for forestry, contaminated groundwater and moderately good reef system. The proposed site has been partially been cleared under the original area but 90% of the vegetation is still intact. There is a sand bed on the western side created by the previous developers. Maafaru Island’s vegetation system is extensive. There are five marshland areas on the island, three of which will be backfilled under this project. One of the marshland areas contains some mangrove vegetation. The central marshland area has recently connected to open lagoon, bringing in juvenile marine life. The site may be considered a breeding site but no concrete evidence was found in this evaluation to classify the site as a breeding site. The mangrove vegetation area is very small but 85% of these trees will have to be relocated. The island topography is varied and will require extensive backfilling to level the site. The reef system is in moderately good condition. The deep lagoon contains some good live coral colonies. The proposed dredging footprint does not contain any live coral colonies but contains an extensive seagrass bed. The island is undergoing erosion on the northern and eastern side but the proposed airport site is generally stable. Significant impacts are expected to arise mainly during the construction phase of the project. These impacts include significant loss of terrestrial biodiversity. Of particular concern is the removal of over 20,000 trees, relocation of mangrove vegetation, and backfilling a recently active marshland with juvenile life. Impacts will also be felt on marine biodiversity due to dredging and reclamation due to associated direct removal, turbidity and sedimentation; contamination of marine and ground water and soil due to accidental spillage/leakage of construction materials and waste; increased turbidity and sedimentation of the water column due to coastal activities; changes to coastal hydrodynamics; salinization of ground water due to use of dredged sand for backfilling and risks to the health of construction workers. Major potential impacts from the operations phase include pollution of air, water and soil due to emissions from island operations such as power generation, water production and flight operations; bird collisions; potential fuel leaks into soil and ground water; impacts from waste accumulation and alteration of faunal species behaviour. Mitigation measures have been proposed to minimise anticipated impacts. These include measure to minimise sedimentation and turbidity in the lagoon, salinization and contamination of ground water, loss of useable trees, loss of mangrove vegetation, social discontent, coastal erosion and safety of workers and passengers. Among these, all large trees and coconut palms which can be transplanted to other islands will be made available for transport. Discussions are underway with Lh. Huruvalhi, proposed resort to be reclaimed on Dhiffushi Reef, N. Dhigurah and proposed island to be reclaimed in K. Thunbafushi. No sites have been finalised yet. All mangrove plants will be relocated to the southernmost wetland or to a nearby island such as Kendhikulhudhoo. Alternative options have been evaluated for the most significant impacts. Among these alternative locations for the proposed airport location were considered, including Manadhoo, Dhigurah and Medhufaru. Among these, only Medhufaru has the space to build a 1800 m runway but it has a number of pristine marshlands which may involve higher impacts than Maafaru. Alternative layouts for the airport were also considered but all other options involve significant reclamation, which subsequently will involve high marine environmental impacts. Alternative borrow areas were evaluated, including an option not to dredge the lagoon. It involved excavating the foot print of vegetation removal area and using the material to level the low lying areas. However, since dredging is required, the reuse of dredge waste for reclamation was preferred. Alternatives were also evaluated for shore protection design and material, and dredging technologies. Consultations were held with Noonu Atoll Council, Maafaru Island Council, Manadhoo Island Council, Maafaru public, management of Irufushi and some staff members of Irufushi. There is overwhelming support for the project. Some members of the public from the islands on the western rim (Velidhoo and Holhudhoo) expressed concern about their distance to Maafaru Airport and would have preferred a more central location for the airport. The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for this project is designed to produce a framework for anticipated impacts, including practicable and achievable performance requirements and systems for monitoring, reporting and implementing corrective actions. In addition, it will also provide evidence of compliance to legislation, policies, guidelines and requirements of relevant authorities. Monitoring plan is designed to assess any changes to the physical environment as well as operational aspects of the resort. The total cost of mitigation and monitoring are estimated between US$5,000 per year. The main conclusion of this report is to move forward with the proposed development on grounds of very high socio-economic benefits which out weight the environmental impacts form the project. The project does have significant terrestrial environmental impacts. However, the scale of the impacts is not irreversible at a regional or atoll level. The loss of the mangrove vegetation is insignificant compared to the mangrove vegetation that exists in Noonu Atoll. The number of wetlands in the near vicinity of Maafaru is also quite substantial and will allow for the migratory birds relocate. The establishment of marshland as a habitat for juveniles is a very recent development (since 2009) and it does not appear that the marine species are using it as a permanent breeding site. The site is also not listed as a sensitive environment owing to the limited presence of sensitive ecosystems. Environmental and socio-economic risks associated with the project are expected to be significantly reduced if the mitigation measures and monitoring programme presented in the report are properly implemented within the framework of the environmental management plan.Item Addendum 1 to environmental impact assessment for the proposed resort development at Maadhoo Finolhu, Kaafu Atoll, Maldives(2014-08) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of an environmental study undertaken as an Addendum to the Environmental Impact Assessment carried out for the resort development at Maadhoofinolhu, Kaafu Atoll. This environmental study has been undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. for the changes that had been brought to the scope of the resort development project at Maadhoofinolhu which has been approved by 12 August 2014 by Ministry of Tourism. This Addendum to the EIA shall only be used for the purpose of issuing the Environmental Permit under the EIA Regulation 2012 and Environment Law 4/93. This project is proposed by DPC Private Limited. The island is proposed to be developed as a 100 villa resort island. Main changes that had been brought to the scope of the resort development project are; creating a sand bank C with an area of 3,400 sqm to develop , relocation of the guest arrival facilities to north western side of the island allowing development of additional beach villas on western side of the island , relocation of the entrance channel to north western side of the island, shifting the water villas on northern side of the island, relocation of the spa complex on sand bank B and developing an overwater resturant between the main island and sand bank B. The materials from dredging of the entrance channel would be used for the reclamation of the island. The materials for the creation of the sand bank C would be obtained by dredging shallow lagoon on north eastern side of the island near the proposed water villas on this side of the island. The dredged area would be used as a swimming area by the guests at the water villas. This EIA Addendum report has identified that the major impacts of the project will be felt on the marine environment of the island. Impacts on the marine environment will be felt through sedimentation and siltation caused by reclamation activity in the lagoon and the associated indirect impacts on the coral reef, during this period. Baseline data has been collected and reported in the EIA report. Impact on the marine environment will be identified through the monitoring. This will be reported in follow up monitoring reports. The most significant impact will be felt on the lagoon bottom and adjacent coral reef. Alternatives to the project have also been considered. An alternative would be to create additional land at sand bank B that would be created on north eastern side of the island. But this option would bring the real estate value as creating a separate sand bank to develop the presidential suite. Mitigation measures for the negative impacts have been identified and outlined in detail, especially sedimentation control methods. The proposed mitigation measures will have to be followed in order to minimize environmental damage. The main negative environmental impact of the proposed project would be sedimentation, which may cause death of corals. The coral reef being the main tourism asset needs to be protected. In fact, there is a great economic imperative to protect reefs. Hence, the mitigation measures have been selected with that in mind. For this reason, the proponent finds it easier to accept the proposed mitigation measures and have made commitment to undertake the mitigation measures as proposed in the EIA report. Towards, the end of the report, a monitoring programme has been suggested which mainly covers the marine environment. These include coral cover and marine water quality among other parameters. As the impacts are felt on the marine environment, it is important to undertake this monitoring. The proposed project conforms to environmental and tourism legislation and thrives to achieve its objectives in an environmentally acceptable manner. Therefore, it appears justified from a technical, social, economic and environmental point of view, to carry out the proposed development project according to the proposed methodologies including proposed mitigation measures and environmental monitoring programme.Item Environmental impact assessment L. Gan – L. Fonnadhoo, link road development project(2014-11) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of an environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. at the request of Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure. This EIA report covers Link Road development project at Laamu Atoll from L. Gan to L. Fonnadhoo. This project would undertake 14.9 km road development through Gan, Maandhoo and Fonnadhoo at Laamu Atoll. Development of the link road at the stretch of islands in Laamu Atoll is one of the islands in a group of islands that the Government has selected to undertake the road development project implemented by Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure. Road development project is implemented at islands where there is a huge demand for residential and commercial land. The proposed project would help to improve the living condition of the island and facilitate the development at the selected island. Environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the project were assessed as part of this study. The road developed and associated work of the project would have significant visible impacts on the islands of Gan, Fonnadhoo and Maandhoo. The impacts of the project result mainly removal of large number of trees to create the new road, levelling of the roads that is planned for development as part of the project. As part of the levelling work, the surface layer of the road would be scraped out. The sand that is removed from the levelling work would be used as backfilling materials of the roads that needs additional sand as backfill. Additional material would be borrowed from borrow sites for backfilling work. The implementation of the project and paving the road surface would have socioeconomic benefits to the south central region of the Maldives. The socio-economic benefits outweigh the negative impacts of the project on the physical environment of the stretch of islands in Laamu Atoll. Mitigation measures for these anticipated impacts have been identified and outlined in detail, including measures for minimizing negative effects of the management of green and construction waste. These mitigation measures will have to be followed in order to minimize environmental damage. The details of the project have been established based on the landuse plan that had been developed for islands. Alternative designs and technologies 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 has been developed including the most important elements that require regular checks. This monitoring component need to adhere to and would allow assessing the changes due to the road development project. Although the project involves inevitable negative environmental impacts, such impacts are predicted to be not severe as not to undertake the project in accordance with the landuse plan developed for the islands. The project is justifiable in light of the socio-economic conditions and anticipated benefits resulting from the project, which seem to outweigh the negative environmental impacts.Item Environmental impact assessment for development of drainage works and storm water infiltration galleries in H. DH. Kulhudhuffushi, Maldives(2014-09) Maldives Energy and Environmental CompanyKulhudhuffitshi Island with a population of over 8900 people is the most populated island in the northern region of the country and is considered to be the third largest population in the Maldives. The island is currently the hub of all commercial activities in the north. Physical and infrastructure developments have although brought socio-economic improvements to the resident community it has also come at an environmental cost. Among the environmental issues faced to the island, stormwater flooding has been considered having impacts on the people in many different ways. Land reclamation, reclamation of the wetland, destruction of the coastal vegetation belt and increased use of vehicles on sandy roads without an engineered drainage system have all contributed to the occurrences of stormwater flooding in the island. In an attempt to address the issue of stormwater in Kulhudhuffushi, the Integrating Climate Change Risks into Resilient Island Planning Project (ICCRRIP) commissioned Male Water Supply and Sewerage Company (MWSC) and Engineering Consultant PVT. Ltd to undertake a study to identify technical options available to solve the flooding problem. Subsequently a report on the findings was submitted to ICCRRIP in 2013. The study proposed a number of options for stormwater management in the island. The recommended method being that stormwater from the gutters and soak pits be connected to a pipeline terminating into underground storage tanks consisting of blocks of AquaCell which has an extensive range of modular cell products and are known to provide an efficient and sustainable method of storing large volumes of run-off for water attenuation or soakaway applications. These underground water tanks would hold the water and release into the ground slow enough for the ground to be able to absorb water and ultimately re-charging the groundwater lens. The report divides the island catchment areas into four zones and recommends two flood prone areas in the northern and the southern part of the island for piloting flood control by this method. However, due to the limited financing available for the piloting flood control by this method. However, due to the limited financing available for the project, it has been decided to pilot the drainage activities in the north eastern region of the island only. This would involve diversion of storm water from six roads namely, Marukazu Magu, Miskiy Magu, Soafiya Higun, Madharusaa Magu, Dhanbu Magu and Orchid Magu. Approved project cost is MVR 16 million. Maldives Road Development Corporation (MRDC) has been selected as the contractor for the project while MWSC will supervise their work. MRDC intends to merge pilot project activities with the on-going road construction works. The project planning, design and surveying began in July 2014 and is entire project is expected to completed and handed over by the contractor during the first half of November. The site clearance and the earthworks is expected to start as soon as EIA clearance is sought and have been planned to be completed within about 30 days. hi order to proceed with the proposed drainage works and installation of the stormwater infiltration galleries and EIA was commissioned to obtain environmental clearance and the EIA was conducted based on the Terms of Reference agreed between the Consultant and the EPA. The EIA recognizes the importance and urgency of addressing the heavy rain associated flooding in Kulhudhuffushi based on the field investigations backed by Detailed Island Risk Assessment in Maldives (2007) and Detailed Island Risk and Vulnerability Assessment (2013). The impact analysis show no significant negative impact expected to be arising out of any activity associated with the project. Project involves minor excavations, potential dewatering, filling back and operation of vehicles and temporary enclosure of the project sites. These may have minor and temporary negative impacts to the scenic view and vista. Potential post-project negative enviromnental impact could arise out of breeding of mosquitos and pests in the tanks, in the pipeline and soakpits due to standing water. Through proper maintenance of the system the problem could be largely avoided. Potential socio-cultural impacts associated with the pilot project include, disruption to services, and temporary obstacles to right of way. Minor negative socio-cultural and environmental impacts associated with the project are temporary and reversible in nature. These further could be mitigated through appropriate mitigation measures. The most expected positive impact expected from the project will be improvement to the drainage. With the project the project is expected to alleviate drainage issue from an area measuring 175,000m2 of urban land with better drainage, and as indirect positive impacts, the project is expected to further improve groundwater, reduce potential contaminants reaching the marine environment, leading to improved public health and quality of life through reduced risk of waterborne and water-related diseases and increased public satisfaction with the urban environment. The project is expected to bring some minor positive impacts to the local economy during the three phases of the project as a results of temporary opportunities created during the works. Several major realistic and practical alternatives have been assessed including the 'no project alternative'. Without the project, the funds allocated for the project could be saved but may run the risk of losing it since the project may not have adequate time left before closure. Since, detailed designs, engineering drawings and contractor for the project has already been selected it would be completely unrealistic and wasteful to even consider utilizing the funds for a different activity. Considering meeting the objectives of the project, environmental and economical superiority of the alternatives evaluated, undertaking a pilot project in one of the flood prone area using underground tanks in empty available space for drainage has been found to the best practical option. The Council expressed their wish implement the project in the Zone A (the south east region) as opposed to Zone B (north east region). They were of the view that Zone A floods more severely compared to Zone B and therefore, the project would have greater impact by this shift. Considering that the detailed design has already been done for this zone, it is recommended to change the project location as suggested by the Council in order to increase public acceptability of the project. The intended positive impacts of the project can only be accurately determined by the post-project monitoring scheme. In order to ensure effectiveness of underground stomi water collection tanks in mitigating against flooding it is essential to monitor, collect information, evaluate the information collected and disseminated. With the following recommendations duly considered or addressed appropriately, the ETA found that the positive aspects of the project far outweigh its negative impacts. ■ Bank of Maldives Branch at Kulhudhuffushi have not been consulted during the design phase on the possible installation of an underground tank within their compound. ETA suggests that prior to the onset of ground work that the Bank be consulted for their consent. ■ Location identified for the tank at the football ground need to be relocated from the southwest corner to the northwest corner in order to reduce the pipeline length as well as the associated costs. ■ Capacity of the underwater tank proposed for Bank of Maldives' compound seem to be of inadequate capacity since it the region covers 53% of the total pilot project area. ■ It is not clear how the existing design will address the over-flow should such a situation arise. This issue need to be resolved prior to the construction. ■ Post project maintenance and management shall be discussed and agreed with the island council in order to avoid potential mosquito and other pest issues as a result of the project. If the pilot project is successful in managing storm water in the piloted area, the system will be expended to other regions of Kulhudhuffushi Island and similar systems it could be replicated elsewhere in the Maldives.Item Environment impact assessment for the proposed swimming pool construction project in Kurehdhoo Island Resort, Lhaviyani Atoll(2014-06) 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 pool construction project in Kuredu Island Resort, Lh. Atoll. The proponent of this project is Kuredu Holdings Pvt. Ltd. The main rationale for the project is to enhance and upgrade the tourism operations at Kuredu Island Resort, by building a swimming pool in front of the bar on the South West side of the resort, to provide a better product for the visiting guests. 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 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 alternatives evaluated for the project is The “No Project” option nonetheless, this option is not deemed preferable, given the current condition of the resort. Other alternatives explored are alternative location and alternative pool type. Given the disadvantages of the existing conditions, the preferred option is to go ahead with the proposed project of construction of a fresh water swimming pool at the proposed location. Monitoring plan is designed to assess any changes to the environment of the island, groundwater and flora and fauna that 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 water quality groundwater and flora and fauna. However, mitigation measures have been proposed to adequately minimise these impactsItem Environmental impact assessment L. Hithadhoo harbour rehabilitation project(2014-03) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of an 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. Hithadhoo. L. Hithadhoo is located southern side of Laamu Atoll. The island economy depends mainly on fisheries which involve boating activities. The existing harbour at the island was constructed in early 2000s. The quay wall was constructed using corals and is badly damaged. The harbour does not have a breakwater and this is causing difficulty to moore the boats in the harbour area during rough weather. 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 rehabilitee the existing harbour which can cater the growing demand for the vessels which will be using the islands for the next 10 years. The rehabilitation of the harbour includes, construction of 229 m of quay on southern side, 90 m of quay wall on eastern side and 88 m quay wall on western side of the harbour. The project also includes construction of 219m breakwater on northern side, 26 m and 24 m breakwater on either side of the entrance channel and 14 m rock boulders revetment on eastern and western side of the harbour. As part of the project, harbour basin would be deepen to – 3 at mean sea level. The harbour basin would be made 227 m long and 88 m wide. The rehabilitation of the harbour basin would generate around 23,0257 m3 sand. This material would be disposed to the area east and west of the harbour. The reclamation would require 36,019 m3 sand. Additional materials required for the reclamation would be borrowed from the borrow site on east of the existing harbour area.. Environmental impacts of the project were assessed. The impacts of the project result mainly from excavation of the harbour basin, entrance channel, excavation of the area on land to shift the quay wall by 50ft inland and disposal of excavated materials. The impact of excavation would be that of sedimentation. This impact is considered to be minor and shortterm. Re-excavation of the entrance channel and harbour basin would have irreversible impacts. 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 the possible 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 First addendum environmental impact assessment for the proposed domestic airport development DH. Kudahuvadhoo(2014-11) SandcaysThis report addresses the environmental concerns of the newly proposed burrow area for the reclamation of the Domestic Airport in Dh.Kudhahuvadhoo. The previously considered burrow areas posed technical difficulties in getting the required amount of sand which was needed for the project, therefore the new burrow area was proposed in the shallow area close to the proposed deeper borrow areas. An area of about 150,000-170,000m2 in the shallow area close to the approved dredge area is to be dredged to a depth of 6-8m to obtain about 750,000m3 of fill material. This area has been selected because one of the approved areas is too deep to dredge with the dredger. Also, the other approved areas have hard rock as a result of which the total volume of material is reduced. Since the proposed area is in close proximity to the proposed area and further away from the reef and reef patches than the proposed areas, the proposed new area has lesser environmental impacts than that proposed. However, the impacts of dredging would be similar to those of the already approved areas. The main impacts of the proposed component are related to changes in coastal water quality and oceanography, impacts on coral reefs and the associated marine fauna. Mitigation measures are mainly focused on reducing sedimentation, dredging methods and timings of the dredging. Monitoring programme outlined in the EIA report was found to be sufficient and additional environmental monitoring was not found to be necessary. Given that the change in the project component does not have major negative environmental impacts it is recommended to allow the project to proceed as proposed.