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Item Environmental impact assessment for proposed coastal protection works in AA. Ukulhas Island(2015-10) Zuhair, Mohamed; Shakir, IbrahimThe Project is proposed by Ministry of Environment and Energy for undertaking coastal protection measures on the northern shoreline of AA. Ukulhas Island. The focus of the project is to protect the northern side of AA. Ukulhas Island as the area is currently undergoing serious beach erosion, which is currently reaching up to island infrastructures. In order to protect the area, the Ministry of Environment and Energy proposes to undertake beach replenishment of a 6,600sqm area on the north and design and construct a 280m long rock boulder revetment along the replenished shoreline. The project has been awarded to Sas e Senok JV Pvt. Ltd. on design and built basis. As the contractor for the project, Sas e Senok JV Pvt. Ltd. has undertaken the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report to be submitted to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for approval. This EIA is prepared as per the Terms of Reference (TOR) approved by Environment Protection Agency (EPA) on 23 September 2015. The scope of this EIA is to assess the existing environmental condition of Ukulhas Island and surrounding environment, identify potential environmental impacts, propose environmental management and mitigation measures to minimize environmental impacts as well as propose an environmental monitoring plan with appropriate environmental parameters to monitor changes on a regular basis. Ukulhas Island is located at 4°12'56.35"N and 72°51'49.13"E in a single reef found on the NE corner of North Ari Atoll. Both the island and reef is elliptical in shape and has a SE and NW orientation. The length and width of the island are approximately 1000m and 215m respectively. The area of the island is estimated to be 22ha. Main environmental impacts from the proposed project will be from sedimentation including water quality deterioration, reef damage as well as direct destruction of lagoon habitats within the project boundary. Although, these impacts are inevitable, it is effects can be reduced by implementing various environmental management and mitigation measures such as undertaking sand pumping and beach nourishment operations coinciding with low tide and on calm days as well as undertaking the operations in the quickest possible timeframe to reduce impact exposure period. During the operation of the resort, solid waste and wastewater disposal as well as certain tourist activities is believed to generate the most significant environmental impacts especially on the marine environment where the impacts may range from marine pollution, water quality deterioration, potential health risks, destruction of marine habitats as well as aesthetic and cumulative impacts. The project is believed to generate a number of beneficial impacts. These include protection of a critical island environment, protection of school and waste management center. With regards to mitigating and reducing significant environmental impacts from the project, the following measures including use physical barriers such as earthen berms, sand beds and rock boundaries to close reclamation areas, undertake the activities in shortest possible time and on calm days at low tides, reclamation to be undertaken in sections within the boundary, directing sedimentation into the deep lagoon area and number of other measures have been proposed. Although during construction of the project, significant environmental impacts from dredging and land reclamation activities as a result of sedimentation and direct destruction of habitats have been envisaged, with appropriate environmental management and mitigation measures, these impacts will be reduced to a considerable level. Also, with positive social outlook of the project and considering the overall need for the project, it is concluded that the project should go ahead as planned.Item Environmental impact assessment for the reconstruction of Guraidhoo Harbour, Thaa Atoll, Maldives(2015-12) Maldives Energy and Environmental CompanyThe Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure requested the services of Maldives Energy and Environmental Company (MEECO) to provide an Environmental Impact Study (EIA) for the re-construction of harbour at Guraidhoo Island, Thaa Atoll. The assessment addresses specific key issues stated in the Terms of Reference (TOR) as agreed between EPA and the Proponent following the Scoping Meeting held on the matter. This EIA report was prepared for the fulfilment of the requirements of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2012 with the purpose of conducting an assessment of possible impacts on biophysical and human environment arising from proposed development project. The project is proposed by Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure, Maldives. The proposed harbour reconstruction project include the following components; 1. Reconstruction of improved breakwaters for harbour basin and entrance channel; 2. Reconstruction of improved main quay wall and a side quay wall; 3. Maintenance dredging of the harbour; 4. Extension of the harbour basin; 5. Reclamation of small area of land by dredge sediment disposal; 6. Construction of revetments on a 14m section for the newly reclaimed land; 7. Installation of navigational lights. The present harbour facility at the Guraidhoo Island is greatly damaged and is not serving its intended function of providing safe access to the island and safe mooring of vessels. Additionally, the size of the harbour is identified as inadequate for the present need and expected economic growth of the island. The harbour forms a key part in many livelihood activities of the island and is frequently used by passenger and cargo vessels as well as vessels travelling to and from Laamu atoll. Hence, the improvement of harbour facility will greatly benefit the island community while also enabling future economic development at the island. The proposed project is not expected to cause any long term major irreversible environmental impacts, though few temporary impacts during the construction phase is expected. These impacts can be successfully mitigated by following the measures recommended in this EIA. The construction phase of the project is also expected to present several negative socio-cultural and economic impacts, which can also be mitigated by following measures presented in this EIA. Overall, the project is expected to yield major positive impacts in socio-cultural and economic sector when the new harbour comes into operation. Based on the results of the assessments, this EIA study concludes that with the proposed mitigation in place, the project is justifiable, would be environmentally acceptable and could proceed in compliance with the relevant environmental legislations and regulations. In this EIA, the consultants have proposed an Environmental management plan to ensure that the construction phase of the project does not cause major unexpected impacts on the environment as well as to ensure that the proposed measures are working effectively to safeguard the environment.Item Environmental impact assessment for: Hdh. Neykurendhoo channel protection and maintenance dredging project(2015-12) Maldives Energy and Environmental Companya) This Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report was prepared by Maldives Energy and Environmental Company (MEECO) upon request by the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure (MHI), the project proponent to fulfil the legal requirements of the Environment Protection and Preservation Act (Law no: 4/93) for the project entitled “HDh. Neykurendhoo channel protection and maintenance dredging”. b) The assessment was prepared addressing the key issues highlighted in the Terms of Reference (TOR) agreed between the proponent and EPA. c) Neykurendhoo is an average sized island with a population of a little over 700, where basic services are available. The island has got an average sized harbour constructed in 2007 that is currently being used by boats owned locally as well as fishing and cargo vessels from other islands as a berthing location. d) MHI proposed this project to address the requirement for providing safe access to Neykurendhoo. No maintenance dredging had been carried out since the construction of the harbour in 2007. The channel is reported to have become shallower over the years as a result of siltation in the area. In addition the breakwater at the entrance of the harbour was constructed too short to provide adequate protection from wind and waves. e) The project is in line with government policies and legislation, and the proponent is committed to obtaining all the necessary permits and approvals prior to the commencement of the project. f) The project proposes to construct a 116.2 m rock boulder extension to the existing breakwater at the entrance channel, and apply excavation techniques to conduct maintenance dredging. The dredge material is proposed to be used for levelling the access road from the residential areas of the island to the harbour. The proponent commits to put in place all the measures necessary to minimise the impacts of the development on the environment. g) Assessment of the existing environment revealed that there were relatively few benthic communities to be directly affected as a result of the proposed activities. The channel has a sandy bottom characteristic of dredged locations. The only activity expected to cause damage to the benthic communities were the placement of the rock boulder extension to the breakwater. However, the coral communities in the area were in relatively sparse abundance and consisted only of small colonies. The impact on coral reefs is expected to revert back to its original state once the environment has stabilised upon completion of the project. h) The major impact to the surrounding areas would be from sedimentation during dredging, especially since for much of the year the location will experience winds and the resulting wind-generated surface currents away from the island. Adequate silt netting would minimise the impacts to the surrounding areas during construction phase. i) The proponent is fully committed to fulfilling the requirements of the monitoring plan developed, and undertake any mitigation measures necessary to minimise the negative impacts of this project j) The benefits of this project outweigh the slight negative impacts caused by the project, and is encouraged to implement the project giving due considerations to the environmental issues.Item Environmental impact assessment for the harbour rehabilitation project, Maaungoodhoo Island, Shaviyani Atoll, Maldives(2015-11) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of an environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt Ltd at the request if Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure for the proposed harbour rehabilitation project at Maaungoodhoo, Shaviyani Atoll. The project involves the rehabilitation of the existing harbour in Maaungoodhoo, Shaviyani Atoll. This project is initiated by the government of Maldives. The harbour of Maaungoodhoo has been damaged to various extents and requires rehabilitation and upgrading, including deepening the harbour basin, extending beaching area, constructing east channel breakwater, constructing quay wall on the extended area and reconstructing harbour breakwater using the existing rock boulders. In addition to this, filling the eroding area on north side of the island and filling the area on the west side of the harbour using dredged material is also proposed in this project. A detail assessment of the environmental and social conditions was assessed based on which a rehabilitation project has been proposed. This EIA has been prepared to assess the social and environmental impacts of this proposed rehabilitation project. The major impacts have been identified as resulting from the dredging works, which has been proposed inside the harbour basin and west of the existing harbour basin. However, as this is a rehabilitation project, environmental impacts from the dredging works will be minor to moderate as it is done on an already dredged area. To support this, the report has identified baseline conditions of the predicted impact zones of the marine environment and they appear to be limited as the reef itself has limited live coral coverage on the proposed site. Dredged spoil has been proposed to be disposed to the northern side of the island. Therefore sedimentation during the filling process is anticipated which will impact nearby reef areas. The impacts on coastal dynamics also seem to be limited as there will not be any layout changes to the harbour that will significantly affect the sediment movement around the island. The harbour has already disrupted the sediment movement around the island, which is seen during both seasons. Mitigation measures for these anticipated impacts have been identified and outlined in detail, including sedimentation control methods and other measures. These mitigation measures will have to be followed in order to minimize environmental damage. Stakeholder consultations were held with various groups, including the community and the client in order to incorporate the socio-economic components in the project. It is inevitable that there would be some negative environmental impacts, especially when dredging is undertaken. In Maaungoodhoo, the environmental impacts are limited and not significant as this is a rehabilitation project. Most of the negative impacts will be confined during the construction stage. As a result, a comprehensive monitoring component has been suggested which takes in to consideration, the most important elements that require regular checks both during and after construction. This monitoring component will assess long term changes, despite the limited nature of the impact. The most important consideration is the socioeconomic impacts that have been assessed mainly as positive in nature. Not only they are positive, but most importantly in the long term. In this project, there are more positive benefits than negativeItem Environmental impact assessment for the proposed shore protection and beach nourishment at Maafushi Island, South Male’ Atoll, Maldives(2015-12) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of a social and environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. upon request from Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC). MTCC has been awarded the project by Ministry of Environment and Energy. The project involves shore or coastal protection works and beach nourishment of the northern side of Maafushi island, South Male’ Atoll. The project aims to: Protect the north side from erosion, by nourishing the beach with sand. Increase the available beach space in Maafushi island on the north side. Construct a set of groynes to retain the sand. Ensure that a sustainable beach is available on the north side while at the same time protecting the island’s shore from erosion. One of the biggest development challenges facing Maafushi today is the lack of recreational space, most importantly a beach for locals as well as hundreds of tourists visiting the island every month. With the increase in guest houses, the demand for beach space has never been this high and it is now in competition with locals who also utilizes the same space for recreational purpose. Due to the limited availability of beach, the northern side of Maafushi has been declared by the Island Council as a designated area for guest, where they can enjoy swimming in bikinis and swimming cloths. Thus the importance of segregation from locals is emphasized due to this factor. The northern side of the island has been in a state of erosion for many years and no proper erosion management has been undertaken to rectify this problem. The result of this lack of management from the concerned authorities is the use of ad hoc and inappropriate erosion management measures that does not work as intended. Such measures include protecting the beach using coral rubbles, cement bags and even construction waste such as demolition debris. These measures have helped to control further damage in some manner, but the erosion has not been controlled at all. The beaches are laden with debris and the visual beauty of an island’s shore is no more. Nevertheless, most of the guests are compelled to use this area for relaxing, sunbathing and swimming. It has now become one of the most economically active and important area of the island, yet the most neglected and ugly. Some of the structures such as the government institution, “Residential School for Minors” has been affected. Most area of the boundary wall has been partly collapsed from erosion, which shows no signs of improvement. The present population of the island is roughly 3500 and there are 248 households. The development of guest houses in the island has increased the burden on the available beach space for recreation. The northern part of the island has been allocated as recreational space for guests as this area can be easily segregated from the main population. However, beach erosion on this side is affecting guest house businesses and will continue to pressure if a solution is not found. With limited recreational space, at present, there is a lot of mix of both locals and foreigners. Presently, the only beach area that is available for the islanders is very small as most of the beach areas have been allocated for guest recreation. Managing and controlling erosion on the north side is therefore not only an environmental issue, but a major social and economic issue as well. The success of this project will not only help prevent an environmental problem, but also safeguard an industry that has become one of the most significant for the local economy. Further damage from erosion is something that the community will pay dearly if a solution is not brought. Environmental impacts of this project was assessed and most of the environmental impacts of the project have been identified as resulting from the dredging and beach nourishment works. Dredging will be undertaken using excavators and this is particularly a method that creates lot of sedimentation. Such beach nourishment projects contributes to significant amount of sedimentation and it is the biggest threat to the marine environment. Dredging has been proposed from the northern side of the island Mitigation measures for the negative impacts have been identified and outlined in detail, and sedimentation control methods have been specifically focused due to its seriousness. The most important mitigation measure is the use of bund walls in the dredging and fill areas to contain sedimentation of the remainder of the reef or at least minimize it significantly. In addition, completing the dredging and beach nourishment works in the shortest time frame is also a significant mitigation measure that can help avoid serious and prolonged reef damage. The proposed mitigation measures will have to be followed in order to minimize environmental damage. The measures proposed to minimize or mitigate environmental impacts may be considered to be quite appropriate, thereby minimizing the impact by about 90%. The main negative environmental impact of the proposed project would be sedimentation and destruction of the lagoon and damage to some areas of the reef, which will cause death of corals in the direct impact zone and partial death of corals in other areas of the coral reef. During dredging works, the sedimentation will also affect the fish species in the vicinity of these areas and hence, their population will drop in areas affected by sedimentation. Not only will this be an environmental issue, but will also affect the hundreds of tourists that use the house reef for snorkelling, diving and water sports. Snorkelling and diving is a sport that particularly depends on good visibility and high sedimentation rates can spread sediments to large areas. The project is mainly driven by the environmental and economic gain for the development of Maafushi island. Stakeholder consultations were held with various groups, including the island council and the client in order to incorporate the socio-economic components in the project. Stakeholders, most importantly the island community represented by the Island council was the most significant as they have the maximum knowledge and experience from the daily difficulties faced and issues of the island. On a daily basis, the council receives request / complains from the general public on various issues and these have been incorporated in the report. In addition, the business community, most notably members representing the Maafushi guest houses were met and discussions were held with them about the project, dredging methods using excavators, beach nourishment methods and the best possible type and methods for costal protection. It is inevitable that there would be negative environmental impacts of this project. However, balancing these negative impacts and the socio-economic benefits gained is something that is very difficult. It will not be possible to avoid environmental damage entirely, but ways to minimize damage are critical factors to consider during implementation. As a result, a comprehensive mitigation and monitoring component has been suggested which takes into consideration, the most important elements that require monitoring, most importantly a mechanism and means to measure and value the social benefit of the project. This monitoring component will be adhered and will allow the assessment of long term changes, despite the potential negative impacts. As the socioeconomic impacts are going to be felt in the long term, monitoring these changes is very essential. The beach nourishment and coastal protection of Maafushi’s north side does pose some threats to the marine environment. There will be direct and indirect damage to corals in the vicinity of the project site. Some of the corals, mostly in the lagoon and shallow areas of the reef slope will die due to smothering as well as from construction activities. But these are damages that cannot be entirely avoided. The damage rate and percentage can be reduced by limiting the dredging area to one single location as identified in the project.Item Addendum 2 environmental impact assessment for the reclamation and expansion at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport, Hulhulhé, Kaafu Atoll(2015-09) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of an addendum that carried out for the environmental impact study (EIA) which was carried out by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. at the request of Maldives Airports Company Limited in July 2014. This EIA Addendum 2 report covers for changes that had been made to the reclamation component of the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (INIA) expansion project. The report also covers proposed 7.1 m wide road development on southern end of the island and development of a 4.84 km sewerage collection, treatment and disposal system via 495m ocean outfall as part of the Ibrahim Nasir International Airport expansion and modernisation project. Refer to the Environmental Impact Assessment for the Proposed Expansion and Reclamation at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (2015) for the details of the project. This EIA report has been approved by EPA. It is not seen that any significant environmental impacts would be due to the changes that had been brought to the reclamation component, addition of the road and sewerage system as part of the development, other than those outlined in the Environmental Impact Assessment for the Proposed Expansion and Reclamation at Ibrahim Nasir International Airport (2015). The project involves inevitable negative environmental impacts to the natural environment of the island.Item Environmental impact assessment harbor construction works at Maduvvaree, Raa Atoll(2015-12) Land and Marine Environmental Resources GroupBackground The non-technical summary outlines the findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment of the proposed harbor construction at R. Maduvvaree. The proponent of the proposed project is Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure. The total estimated cost of this project is USD 1.45 million. The proposed project involves construction of the harbor facility on the southern side of R. Maduvvaree. The harbor will have dimensions of length 211m and maximum width of 86m. The entrance will be from the existing entrance on the south eastern end of the facility. Key impacts, mitigation measures and alternatives Impacts on the environment from various activities of the construction work and during the operation of the facility have been identified through interviews with the project management team, field data collection and surveys and are also based on past experience of consultant in similar development projects. Mitigation measures have also been identified for impacts which are irreversible in nature. Impact analysis was done using the Leopold matrix. Impact analysis showed that impact due to the project was due to dredging works which is anticipated to have a moderate impact on marine habitats as a result of sedimentation. Positive impact foreseen is availability of safe harbor for the fishing fleet of the island and additional of land area. Other minor to moderate impacts are discussed in section 9 of the report. Mitigation measures are discussed in the report for potential impacts, including mitigation for the event that the project might be stopped prior to the completion of all works. In such cases, it is advised to ensure that the mitigation measures outlined for this scenario in Table 9 are implemented prior to the departure of contractors. Detailed mitigation measures are discussed in Section 11 of the report. Alternatives have been considered for various components of the project and are given as possible options that may be either more practical or less expensive to the preferred options. The proposed alternatives also have taken into consideration the environmental consequences resulting from these options as compared to the preferred options. The following components of the project have been discussed in providing their alternatives; Equipment/method used for dredging Location of harbor The “do-nothing” option or no project scenario would mean that the large fishing vessel fleet of island would face the same existing difficulty of not having appropriate berthing and safe harbor. However, the no-project scenario also means that the environmental impacts due to the project, which are moderate in terms of the impact on live coral cover and marine habitats, will be completely avoided. The existing facility is in need of repair; the outer breakwaters are damaged and does not properly stop waves during NE monsoon. Hence the community feels that southern area is adequate for a harbor, furthermore the area is already dredged therefore cost for construction will also be lower. Therefore given that the benefits of construction of the facility are more significant than the environmental impacts, continuation of the project is considered feasible with proper implementation of the mitigation measures proposed to minimize the impact on the environment. Details of the various alternatives considered and the selected alternatives are shown in Section 10 of the report.Item Environmental impact assessment (EIA) for establishment of a katsuobushi processing facility in Hithadhoo, Addu City(2015-12) Adam, M. Shiham; Ahusan, Mohamed1. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report carried out for proponent Yours Maldivian Addu Katsuobushi Pvt. Ltd. to develop and operate a katsuobushi plant on a leased plot of land from the RAF area of Hithadhoo Island, Addu City. The EIA is prepared as fulfilment of the requirement by the Ministry of Environment and Energy for granting permission for the Project. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of development projects is a requirement by the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act (EPPA) (law 4/93) of the Government of the Republic of Maldives. 2. This report has been prepared in accordance with the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations published by the Ministry of Environment and Energy in 2012 and covers environmental and socio-economic impacts arising from the proposed project. Major findings of this report are based on data and information gathered during the field inspection of the existing environment. In addition, expert judgement and published literature were used to predict the possible impacts from the project. 3. The development project is located in the western side of the southern section of Hithadhoo Island, Addu Atoll. The plot is separated from the western beach by about 65m of coastal vegetation. Terrestrial vegetation around the plot area is a mix of salt and salinity tolerant trees and shrubs. The population of the Island is mostly concentrated to the northern end of the island while the southern end is sparsely inhabited resulting in an abundant. 4. Tuna to be processed will be sourced from the local fishermen. While only skipjack tuna will be used to make katsuobushi, other species in the catch (yellowfin tuna and small amounts of bigeye tuna) will also be purchased and processed into other products and marketed to the locals. This is in order to incentivize the fishermen to sell their catch to the proponent and ensure a steady supply of raw materials. 5. Pole-and-line tuna fishery of the Maldives exploits the wider Indian Ocean stocks, the management of which falls on the Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC). Maldives is a full member of IOTC and takes a lead role in promoting management of the Indian Ocean tuna stocks. Most recent assessments for skipjack tuna (2014) indicate that the skipjack tuna stock is being exploited at safe levels. However, 2015 assessment of yellowfin tuna stocks showed that the stock has been overfished and is being overfished. 6. The development project involves construction of a 100 by 100 feet processing facility, its supporting infrastructure and a staff accommodation block for the employees of the facility. All construction will use general construction materials such as cement, imported river sand and aggregate, deformed steel bars etc. Construction materials and crew will be transferred to, and waste removed from the facility via existing dirt roads. 7. Major waste stream from the factory would consist of organic waste (fish offal) and blood water from gutting and cleaning raw fish, domestic sewage diluted in flushed water and greywater from the staff accommodation block and ash from the smoking process. 8. Organic waste (consisting of viscera, cuttings, skin and bones) will be collected in leak proof containers and routinely removed from the facility before it becomes putrid. This will be disposed of in the sea by an external party during the first year and later used to make agricultural fertilizer. Blood water and water generated from cleaning the facility will be discharged onto the reef flat on the western side of the island. Septic tanks will be used for the treatment of domestic sewage and greywater from the accommodation block. 9. Assessment of the existing terrestrial environment in the vicinity of the site showed that the area consist of typical island vegetation except for a dominance of coconut palms (Cocos nucifera). Site of the project does not contain strong vegetation as it was cleared prior to leasing to the proponent. Small scale farming takes place in plots around the project site. 10. The island being located on the western atoll rim reef and the project site being located on the western side of the island, is in close proximity to the marine environment. The beach is exposed to strong swell waves originating in the Western Indian Ocean. Breaking of waves on the reef creates longshore currents which would allow almost instant mixing and dilution of effluent discharged. Benthic cover on the reef flat/lagoon showed a predominant abundance of seagrass and a lack of live corals and associated benthic fauna. 11. Minimal environmental impacts are predicted for the project. Key negative impacts include a transient deterioration of water quality at the effluent discharge site and likely deterioration of groundwater due to sewage from the accommodation block. Further, a localized reduction in air quality is expected due to gaseous (NOX) and particulate emissions from the smoking process. 12. The project is expected to have a number of positive impacts on the local economy and wellbeing of locals especially fishermen. Firstly, fishermen will be paid a competitive price for their catch in order to ensure a reliable supply of raw materials. The project will also open up employment opportunities for locals. Further, it will contribute to the local economy by outsourcing some aspects of the project such as waste disposal and sea transport of products to Male’ and contribute to government’s policy of value0addition of fishery catch.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed shore protection project in Bilehffahi, Shaviyani Atoll(2015-11) 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 harbour maintenance project in Bilehffahi, Shaviyani Atoll. The proponent of this project is Ministry of Environment & Energy. The main rationale for the project is to improve the access facilities of Bilehffahi Island to facilitate improvement in the social and economic condition of the island. The island has a harbour and a reef entrance, but the reef entrance has become shallow overtime and has become dangerous for navigation due to the narrow width. This project mainly involves widening the reef entrance, relocating a section on the breakwater and disposing the dredge waste in designated locations near the harbour. The development is designed based on environmental best practices suitable for marine construction in Maldives. The project involves constructing erosion mitigation measures in Bilehffahi Island on the northern and a section of the western beach. The proposed structures are nearshore breakwaters based using armour rock. 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, Dredging and Reclamation regulation and Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2012. Additional approvals are required for the following before commencement of project activities. Detailed drawings approval from the Ministry of Environment, Revision to the Dredging and Reclamation approval if the alternative site plan is chosen. At present the island is undergoing severe erosion on the north and western side. Analysis using long-term data shows that Bilehfahi is ranked among the islands with the largest changes to the shoreline in the last 50 years. The northern side has retreated alarmingly prior to 2004 but the southwestern side has also grown to an unprecedented rate. The proposed protection measures are warranted on the north as it displays a long term trend of island migration. However, the southern side erosion could be considered periodic and the deployment of erosion mitigation measures on a section of beach could have consequences for the stability of the rest of the island. The proposed project site is in the shallow reef flat. It does not contain any live corals and the neared live coral cover zone is far from the site. Moderate live coral cover was observed on the reef slope at the surveyed points. Significant impacts of this project during construction phase of the project are potential significant impacts on the marine environment due to excessive sedimentation, turbidity and direct excavation related to temporary sand bed construction. The specific impacts on the coral reef and lagoon environment are cumulative in nature and include loss of lagoon benthos organisms along the dredge site, temporary sedimentation in on the reef areas close to the northern tip of the island particularly with table corals, loss of coral life and temporary impacts on fish life. These impacts are likely to persist only in the short-term. There will positive and negative impacts on hydrodynamics and beach erosion. Changes to hydrodynamics are an intended objective of the project. The leeward side of the breakwater is expected to be calm, stabilising the beach behind it. Wave refraction around the corners of the breakwater is likely to cause focussed erosion on the corresponding beach areas. The orientation of the breakwater will have an effect on wave behaviour. During the operation phase the main concerns are the potential risks to health and safety. There is also the potential risk of erosion in unprotected sections of the beach. Most of these impacts can be minimized with proper mitigation measures recommended in the report. Key mitigation measures for the construction stage include working during calm conditions to minimise damage to the surrounding coral reefs. It has been recommended to consider alternative orientation for the northern breakwater to reduce the effects of wave refraction and costs. The southern breakwater is recommended to be redesigned to facilitate seasonal movement. Consultations were undertaken with the public, Island Council and Ministry of Environment. All persons consulted were in favour of reviewing the designs to propose designs that would have least impact on the environment and those that would allow to continue the activities undertaken on the beach such as boat maintenance and recreation. The alternatives evaluated for the project were the no project option, alternative erosion mitigation plan, alternative sediment containment measures and sand burrow areas. The no project option is viable on the island, particularly on the southern side, in geophysical terms as the island is undergoing substantial net accretion, at a scale which has not been observed anywhere else in the Maldives. The no project option is not viable socially as there will be significant public discontent if the project is stopped. It was recommend proceeding with modified design based on these conditions. Alternative erosion mitigation measures were anlaysed for both the northern and southern side and recommend over the existing site plan. The revised options are cheaper, more efficient and address public concerns as well. The monitoring plan has been designed with a focus to analyse the significant impacts over time, particularly the effect on water quality and the impacts on marine life A management framework has been proposed and it is essential that this framework be used in the construction stage of the project. The operation stage management can fall within the overall resort environmental management framework. In conclusion, project mainly has beneficial socio-economic impacts.Item Environmental impact assessment for the construction of a harbour in Gaafaru Island, North Male’ Atoll, Maldives(2015-11) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of a social and environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. upon request from Ministry of Housing and infrastructure. The project involves construction of a harbour in the island of Gaafaru in, North Male’ Atoll. The harbour project in Gaafaru is slightly different from the conventional harbours developed elsewhere in Maldives. Gaafaru island already has a harbour constructed to ease the difficulties faced due to difficulty in accessing the island. However, over time, this harbour has been damaged and the need to accommodate more and larger vessels has been realized since its construction. The present harbour is presently in need of upgrading and enlargement. As the only practical options for expansion is possible towards the north-west side (for reasons outlined later in the report), it has been decided to move the harbour basin further west. As a result, it has been decided to fill the existing harbour basin and dredge a new basin further west. The quay walls and the breakwaters will then be constructed for the new harbour basin. The present harbour basin will thus become part of the island. The proposed project is therefore geared towards developing a third generation harbour in the island. The present basin will be filled to move the quay wall further west in the shallow lagoon. This project will therefore have a reclamation component to increase land area of the island in addition to the harbour development. This harbour is expected to ease many of the challenges faced by the islanders, especially for the vessel owners, as safe mooring will be guaranteed. Presently, the damaged harbour is causing lot of difficulties for vessel owners. A detail environmental and social 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 project. Although this is not a completely new development, significant negative impacts on the marine environment will be felt through permanent habited modification and direct destruction of the marine environment. Similarly, the coral reef will be directly and indirectly impacted from this project. At the same time, the socio-economic impacts of the project will be significantly felt on a very larger group, and not necessarily 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 environment will be affected, careful implementation of mitigation measures and adopting methods which minimizes damage will be key for this project. Most of these measures are best practice guidelines and protocols that does not require a lot of money to implement. In view of the assessment, the environmental damages to marine resources have been considered significant due to the nature of the project. The impacts are likely to be felt on an estimated 14% of the reef, mostly along the inner basin of Gaafaru atoll. These environmental impacts were assessed for both construction and operation phase of the project and the majority of the negative impacts will be felt during the construction stage. However significant these negative impacts are, they should be compared and assessed with the socioeconomic benefits gained by developing the harbour. As a result, a comprehensive monitoring component has been suggested which takes in to consideration, the most important elements that require regular monitoring such as the changes to the sediment movement around the island. This monitoring component will be adhered and will allow the assessment of long term changes resulting from the project. One of the important monitoring aspects will be the socioeconomic impacts. Stakeholder consultations were held with various groups, including the island council and the client in order to incorporate the socio-economic components in the project. Stakeholders, most importantly the island community represented by the Island council was the most significant as they have the maximum knowledge and experience from the daily difficulties faced due to lack of a harbour. Apart from this, the council receives complains from boat owners and others on a daily basis with regard to this. The development of the harbour in Gaafaru will have significant negative environmental impacts to the island environment, most of which will be felt on the marine environment. The project takes place in an environment that has been modified or damaged. Nevertheless, environmental impacts are going to be major. However, the social impacts of this project will be significant and will benefit the community as well as other the region. The additional land acquired for the island and how useful it is in the long term is questionable as experience from other projects in the Maldives have shown. Hence, the land use plan of the island must be carefully developed in order to ensure that the land acquired will be useful for generations to come.