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Item Environmental impact assessment for the reconstruction of Guraidhoo harbour, Thaa Atoll, Maldives(2016-04) 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. Since the successful operation of the ice plant facility present at the island, after the reconstruction of the harbour is seen as a major economic benefit to island as well as protection of the private property of the business must be ensured when implementing the proposed project, it is highly recommended that the necessary relocation of the ice plant’s pump station and the pipeline is resolved before implementing the proposed project by following the proposed mitigation measures in this report. 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 harbor extension works at Fares-Maathodaa, Gdh. Atoll(2016-04) Land and Marine Environmental Resources GroupBackground The non-technical summary outlines the findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment of the proposed harbour extension works at Fares-Maathodaa, Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll. The proponent of the proposed project is Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure. The total estimated cost of this project is USD 843,060. The proposed project involves extension of the existing facility (which lies on the northern side of the island) by addition of 61m (along its length) to the eastern side of the facility. The project also involves construction of the main quay wall along the extension area and a sand bund breakwater along the outer boundary. Dredged material sourced will be disposed along the shoreline to the east of extension area. Key impacts, mitigation measures and alternatives Impacts on the environment have been considered for the constructional phase and post constructional phase of the project. These impacts 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. Impact analysis was done using the Leopold matrix. The impacts identified are described according to their location, probability of impact, magnitude, significance and duration. Mitigation measures have also been identified for impacts which are irreversible in nature. Impact analysis showed that the main impact due to the project was during the construction phase, due to dredging activity. This impact was also anticipated to be of low effect due to the location (shallow intertidal area with seagrass beds) and scale of project (even though loss of seagrass beds from project site is a permanent impact). Overall, impacts identified were found to be of low effect and restricted to the project site, with temporary effects. Positive impact due to the project is the availability of a bigger and more planned area (dedicated area for unloading and passenger use) for use by the numerous vessels of the island and those who visit the island. Mitigation measures are discussed in the report for potential impacts, such as limiting dredging activity to low tide phase to reduce possible sedimentation impacts. Detailed mitigation measures are discussed in Section 11 of the report. Given the scope of the project and need alternative has only been considered for the material to be used for breakwater construction and location of extension. The no-project scenario which was also considered, is not feasible, given the scope of project and associated impacts on environment which are which are mainly of low effect and short term. The benefits on continuation of project outweigh the impacts and hence the no-project scenario is not considered a feasible option. The Consultant feels that the project is feasible with proper implementation of the mitigation measures proposed to minimize the impact on the environment. Stakeholder Consultation Stakeholder consultation was undertaken with Island Council regarding the concept drawing formulated by MHI. The council stated that they require a side quay wall to be included in the eastern side and if excess dredged material is available back filling areas where erosion is observed. Based on the stakeholder consultation, MHI agreed to change the concept design to include a side quay wall at the eastern side. The revised final drawing is provided in Appendix 5 of this report.Item First addendum to the environmental impact assessment for the proposed harbour project in Nilandhoo, Faafu Atoll, Maldives(2016-07) SandcaysThis is the first Addendum to the EIA for the harbour project being undertaken in Nilandhoo, Faafu Atoll. The project is proposed by Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure. The project constitutes dredging of a large harbour for the people of Nilandhoo while at the same time creating land using dredged sand including additional dredging for proposed reclamation of 10hectares of land for housing and infrastructure development including semiindustrial activities. An environmental assessment was undertaken for this project in Nov 2015, which has been subsequently approved. According to the EIA report, the objective of the harbour project is to provide a sizeable harbour to accommodate the increasing number of vessels in the island and to restore the usability of the harbour that has been filled over time with the breakwater being damaged, especially following the tsunami of 2004. The harbour on the northeast side is too small given that Nilandhoo has a lot of large fishing vessels and has been serving as the regional hub with fuelling services established on the old (tsunamidamaged) harbour on the northwest. This addendum addresses the modification to the location of the borrow area. One of the main concerns is that the performance of the dredger is affected due to having to pump up to 1km from the borrow to the fill area. Therefore, it has been considered important to move the dredge (borrow) area closer to the fill area in order to enhance dredging performance and achieve cost-effectiveness. During the first Scoping Meeting, which was cancelled by EPA stating that the project justifications were not clear, EPA identified that the borrow area needs to be moved as far as possible from the proposed quaywall as there may be stability issues. Taking this concern into consideration, further alternatives to the borrow area were also considered by the Proponent in consultation with the Contractor and the representatives of Nilandhoo people. During discussions with the Council and people of Nilandhoo, they have raised concern regarding the need to protect the proposed harbour, which would involve huge costs if the proposed option were adopted although it had been mentioned in the original EIA that harbour protection will be considered in the future. Therefore, in order to reduce the overall cost of the proposed project and to increase the usability of the proposed harbour even during rough southwest monsoon, appropriate alternatives were considered to the harbour design as well although it is beyond the scope of this EIA. A number of alternatives to the proposed harbour design was considered in the original EIA report. Of these, the option of upgrading the existing harbour on the northwest has been given due consideration in the light of improving on social concerns related to limitations in land reclamation. An alternative analysis that have been done in the original EIA and during the current Addendum indicated that the preferred alternative to redesign the existing harbour would have several advantages over the proposed especially the ease of use during rough southwest monsoon while leaving the possibility of an external quaywall if it becomes necessary at a later stage. However, some stakeholders believe that the proposed option has advantages over the preferred alternative as it has better opportunities for future expansion and growth of the economic potential of the island. Some of the other alternatives considered in the original EIA report including the expansion of existing harbour on the northeast to the northwest has cost advantages while it has restrictions over future expansion that the recommended alternative in this Addendum provides. Environmental impacts were assessed for both the construction and operational phases of the project. Most of the direct, negative environmental impacts identified for the construction phase of the project were minor negative; the main impact being the impact on sedimentation from the proposed borrow area to the coral colonies in the vicinity and more importantly sedimentation during the filling of the proposed fill areas, which have already been covered in the original EIA report. Therefore, the impact of dredging has been considered in this Addendum. The main impact arising from the proposed new dredge area is the damage to the inner reef as a result of the dredging. There was a concern relating to the closeness of the dredge area to the proposed quaywall and the potential failure of the structure due to a collapse of the sides of the dredged basin. However, since the dredged basin would need to be dredged to less than 4m from the existing seabed, which is less than 6m in depth at present, there should not be such a problem. Only a few berths or quaywalls just adjacent to the reef edge dropping to 30m suddenly have failed whereas the proposed structure is over 110m from the dredge area, which will be dredged to only about 10m and not more than 13m under the current proposal. Furthermore, most of the naturally deep lagoon areas in similar islands would be about 10m in the middle areas with some areas having 15m depths. Therefore, the direct removal of some of the corals due to proposed option can be avoided by not dredging from the inner reef flat areas but the deep lagoon only, as in the proposed alternative. Reclamation of land considering current and future potential use is a favoured development activity in many islands today. However, based on the experience of most of the land reclaimed in many islands, the cost recovery of the project is low and taxpayers have reason to question the outcome of the project. Yet, if the project objectives were achieved by renting the reclaimed land for semi-industrial activities and housing developments, it may be a justifiable cost. It is sad to note that the proposed reclaimed land has yet to find itself a landuse plan and development scenario after several months of EIA approval that had passed by. This is a cause for concern in terms of the afore-mentioned socio-economic impact of the project, although it is beyond the scope of the EIA. If the land is appropriately managed, the project is considered to have several socio-economic benefits that will certainly outweigh the negative environmental impacts, which are of low significance. Although the impacts are not significant due to the absence of sensitive ecological elements that would be directly impacted, some project-specific mitigation measures have been discussed. These include consideration of the preferred alternative (which is also the or one of the alternatives discussed in the original EIA report) to mitigate the impacts of wave activity at the proposed quaywall, to consider shore protection as the reclamation progresses to minimize erosion and to move any live corals that may be directly affected into safer locations. General mitigation measures, involving appropriate construction management such as working during low-tide as much as possible and rigorous supervision during project implementation are also recommended. It is recommended to carry out regular monitoring as proposed in this Addendum, which replaces the monitoring programme given and approved in the original EIA report. It would be important to assess the movement of the sediment plume regularly and to ensure that sediment plume does not severely affect the reef areas. Turbidity levels are expected to be measured within the sedimentation zone on a regular basis up to 6 months after the project. In conclusion, it appears justified, from a technical and environmental point of view, to carry out the proposed project. Since alternatives have not been considered or discussed with the relevant stakeholders including the Council, it is recommended to consider all potential alternatives, including those identified by the EIA Consultants, before proceeding with the project. The preferred alternative borrow areas including the existing harbour on the northwest is recommended.Item First addendum to the environmental impact assessment for the proposed reclamation of Thinadhoo, Gaaf Dhaal Atoll, Maldives : change of borrow area(2016-05) Musthafa, AmirThis report is the Addendum to the EIA undertaken for the Proposed Reclamation of GDh. Thinadhoo, Maldives. This addendum is based on the change of borrow area after the sand search campaign has been undertaken. More details on the sand placing method is also provided in this addendum. An Environmental Impact Assessment was necessary for the works outlined in this report as they fall under the „Jadhuvalu R‟ of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations 2012 of the Maldives. This report would further conform to the Dredging and Reclamation regulation. In addition to meeting the regulatory requirements, the report would further assist the proponent and important stakeholders to make decisions in an environmentally sound manner. The new dredging location is about 8 km west of the proposed borrow area 1 and area 3 given in the original EIA. The overall environmental impacts of the project have been assessed using frameworks found on literature and the results indicate that the proposed project has minimum negative impact and have an overall net positive outcome. The main environmental positive impacts due to this change comes from the fact that it is slightly far from the resort islands and sensitive areas, and therefore direct impact guests will be minimised. However, the change results in the borrow area being located relatively closer to the inhabited islands area, which also hosts a dive spot and a sensitive area. However, the dredging location is still over 1 km away from the inhabited area, while it is about 7km away from the nearest sensitive area. Dredging activities will no doubt increase sedimentation impacts in the area, although lasting impacts are not envisaged. There are no additional impacts due to reclamation as there is no change in scope with regards to this component. Furthermore, it is important to note that the approved dredge locations in the initial EIA were closer to the “Havodigalaa” sensitive area. Important new stakeholders for the project include Atoll council, nearby resorts, and Management at the Airports company, who may use the surrounding region of the borrow area. The stakeholders consulted did not have any significant reservations. However, they did note that the shallow reef North of the borrow area was used for bait fishing, and fishermen from Madaveli use the general area and channel for fishing. The management at the airports company inquired whether the height of the dredger would cause any issues to incoming aircrafts. Both these concerns were attended to and subsequently, the stakeholders did not have any further issues. The height of the ship will not cause any issue since the channel was south of Kaadedhoo was not going to be used, and all stakeholders will be preinformed before dredging commences. Alternative borrow area options are not viable as the sand search campaign concluded that there are no other significant sand depots within a reasonable distance from Thinadhoo. Alternative areas are those that have already been excluded. The only other viable alternative is to source sand from another region. Importing sand from abroad will be very costly and will have further negative impacts at the reclaim site. It is recommended to continue to monitor the impacts of the proposed project by regular monitoring of marine water quality. The monitoring plan proposed in the original EIA is slightly updated to include more monitoring locations, near borrow area. A two stage monitoring plan is given, which recommends quarterly monitoring during the 1st year and less frequent monitoring for the next 5 years. Undertaking the monitoring, along with the mitigation measures is necessary to ensure the sustainable development of the project with minimum harm to the environment. It is thus recommended that since the project has major socio-economic benefits and environmental benefits, it is advisable to allow the project to proceed as proposed. Moreover, since the change in scope is relatively small, and since the initial EIA has been approved, and also considering the fact that the sand search campaign resulted in only one location within reasonable distance from Thinadhoo to obtain sand, there is no viable reason to postpone or cancel the project due to this change.Item First addendum to the environmental impact assessment for the proposed reclamation of Feydhoo, Addu City, Maldives : change of borrow area(2016-05) Musthafa, AmirThis report is the Addendum to the EIA undertaken for the Proposed Reclamation of Feydhoo, Addu City, Maldives. This addendum is based on the change of borrow area after the sand search campaign has been undertaken. An Environmental Impact Assessment was necessary for the works outlined in this report as they fall under the ‘Jadhuvalu R’ of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations 2012 of the Maldives. This report would further conform to the Dredging and Reclamation regulation. In addition to meeting the regulatory requirements, the report would further assist the proponent and important stakeholders to make decisions in an environmentally sound manner. The new dredging location is about 1.5km North of the proposed borrow area 1 given in the original EIA. The overall environmental impacts of the project have been assessed using frameworks found on literature and the results indicate that the proposed project has minimum negative impact and have an overall net positive outcome. The main environmental positive impacts due to this change comes from the fact that it is slightly far from the inhabited area, and therefore direct impact on inhabitants will be minimised. However, the change results in the borrow area being located relatively closer to the manta point, kuda kandu, and maa kandu, which a popular dive spot and sensitive areas respectively. However, the dredging location is still over 3-4km away from the sites. The area is slightly closer to the british loyalty wreck is also 3km away from the dredge area. Dredging activities will no doubt increase sedimentation impacts in the area, although lasting impacts are not envisaged. There are no additional impacts due to reclamation as there is no change in scope with regards to this component. Furthermore, it is important to note that the approved dredge locations in the initial EIA had similar distances away from other sensitive areas in the South. Important new stakeholders for the project include dive centres and fishermen who may use the surrounding region of the borrow area. While some dive centers had significant reservations and had been reported to be outright against the project taking place in the area, their reasons are not backed by sound science and there is simply a lack of information to conclude the dredging in this area will result in any lasting impact to the popular dive spots. Alternative borrow area options are not viable as the sand search campaign concluded that there are no other significant sand depots within Addu Atoll. Alternative areas are those that have already been excluded. The only other viable alternative is to source sand from another region. Importing sand from abroad will be very costly and will have further negative impacts at the reclaim site. It is recommended to continue to monitor the impacts of the proposed project by regular monitoring of marine water quality. The monitoring plan proposed in the original EIA is slightly updated to include more monitoring locations, near borrow area. A two stage monitoring plan is given, which recommends quarterly monitoring during the 1st year and less frequent monitoring for the next 5 years. Undertaking the monitoring, along with the mitigation measures is necessary to ensure the sustainable development of the project with minimum harm to the environment. It is thus recommended that since the project has major socio-economic benefits and environmental benefits, it is advisable to allow the project to proceed as proposed. Moreover, since the change in scope is relatively small, and since the initial EIA has been approved, and also considering the fact that the sand search campaign resulted in only one location within Addu Atoll to obtain sand, there is no viable reason to postpone or cancel the project due to this change.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed land reclamation at Thilafushi Industrial Zone Plot S8-136(2016-01) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of an environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. upon request from Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) for Ministry of Home Affairs. MTCC has been awarded the project by Ministry of Affairs. The project involves reclamation of land which has been allocated to Ministry of Home Affairs by Thilafushi Cooperation at Thilafushi Industrial Zone. After completion of the project, Ministry of Home Affairs would relocate the transmission antennas which are located on eastern side of Male’ at Henveru Park. These antennas is being relocated as part of the project to develop the China Maldives Friendship Bridge between Male’ and Hulhumale’. The project aims to: Dredge the borrow material from the shallow lagoon of Thilafushi for reclamation works Excavation of an estimated that of 14,000 cbm of sand as borrow material for the reclamation work Reclamation of 137 m by 183 m area of the plot using excavated sand. Reclamation of 25,071 m2 of land which is located on western side of the Thilafushi Industrial Zone. Levelling the reclaim land at +1.5 m above mean sea level. Environmental impacts of this project were assessed and most of the environmental impacts of the project have been identified as resulting from the dredging and reclamation works. Dredging to borrow sand for the reclamation work will be undertaken using excavators and this is particularly a method that creates lot of sedimentation. This is a threat to the marine environment. Dredging has been proposed from the western side of the island. Mitigation measures for the negative impacts have been identified and outlined in the report. Sedimentation control methods have been specifically focused due to its seriousness. An important mitigation measure is the use of bund walls in the reclamation area to contain sedimentation and reduce its impact on the reef. In addition, completing the dredging and filling works in the shortest time frame, before the on setting of south west monsoon is also a significant mitigation measure to minimize the impact of sedimentation on the marine environment. 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 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. 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 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 proposed reclamation does pose threats to the marine environment. There will be direct and indirect damage to marine environment 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.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed dredging of harbor and entrance channel at Gdh. Fiyoari(2016-01) Maldives Energy and Environmental Company1. This report provides the finding of an environmental impact assessment conducted for a dredging project in G DH.Fiyoari, devised by Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure (MHI) in accordance with the Environmental Act and EIA Regulations 2012. The report was compiled by Maldives Environment and Energy Company (MEECO) to fulfil the requirements of law. The main objective of the project is to ease accessibility to the island. 2. In recent times, the harbour in Fiyoari, has become one of the biggest contributors to the local economy. An ice plant managed and run by Kooddoo Fisheries provides ice and water to fishing vessels that regularly birth at Fiyoari. The harbour is also frequented by safari vessels enroute to the surfing point located at the western coast of Fiyoari. The demand for the harbour has resulted in the harbour becoming congested and shallow areas ‘giri’ that exist within the basin has made navigation and access difficult. 3. The proposed project encompasses dredging shallow areas from the harbour and entrance channel. The dredging is aimed at removing all the shallow areas in an area of 25,699 m2 from the harbour basin and 5,350 m2 from the entrance channel. Surveys concluded that a total of 11,800 m3 of dredge material would be obtained as a result of dredging these areas to – 3 m MSL. 4. Bathymetry surveys showed that two areas were shallower than – 3 m MSL in the proposed project area. They were a 2,642 m2 shallow giri in the harbour basin close to quay wall and a 1,650 m2 strip of shallow area at the southern side of the entrance channel. However, study area bathymetry and stakeholder consultations revealed that the proposed project area did not encompass all the significant shallow areas which were highlighted to cause navigational difficulties. Two main shallow areas were identified in the basin outside the project area which are shallower than – 3 m from MSL. These areas have been marked in the report. 5. Use of dredge material in the ongoing sports arena construction project at Fiyoari was determined to be the best option. 6. Environmental impacts were identified and assessed for both the construction phase (dredging) and operational phase of the project. The negative impacts of the project would be felt exclusively on the marine environment during the dredging phase of the project. No significant negative impacts have been identified due to the small scale of the project. Following careful evaluation of the minor negative impacts, appropriate and practical mitigation measures have been proposed to reduce these negative impacts. Significant positive impacts were identified for the implementation phase of the project. The project would not only address difficulty in navigation but it will also boost the economy of the island. Alternatives to the current scheme have also been provided in the report with their advantages and disadvantages discussed. 7. The Proponent, Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure is committed to undertake the necessary mitigation measures and monitoring during all stages of the project. The project is in line with the national development polices of the government and planned to be executed in compliance with the relevant laws and regulations of the Maldives pertaining to conservation of the environment. 8. In conclusion, this EIA has looked into the key factors that shall be taken into account during construction and operational stage of the project. Even though this project does have significant environmental impacts to the immediate marine environment, with appropriate measures, those negative effects can be mitigated to an acceptable level. It is also worth highlighting significant positive impacts that the project is expected to bring to the community would translate into improved living conditions and overall social well-being of the community.Item Environmental impact assessment for harbour development in Fainu Island, Raa Atoll(2014-12) Maldives Energy and Environmental CompanyThe proponent of R. Fainu harbour development project is the Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure. The Ministry is the government's responsible body for the development and regulate the housing and infrastructure of the country. Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) has been contracted to undertake the harbour construction work in K Fainu. Maldives Energy and Environmental Company (MEECO) has been contracted to provide preparation services of an Environmental Impact Study (EIA) by (MTCC) for the development of a harbour in IL Fainu Island to accommodate easy access and provide mooring facilities for the vessels. 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. The Government started development of a harbour in R. Fainu in early 2011. Harbour dredging work started in 2011 but mid-way through the project the dredging work was stopped and the contactor pulled out their equipment after a contractual dispute. The company left creating a mass with uncompleted work and piles of sand and dredged material gathered at the fringes of the dredged areas. Due to this the sand piles accumulated at the harbour area gradually inundated, eroded and spread on the on the reef and lagoon and deposited making the harbour shallow and unusable. At present, apart from a narrow strip, most of the dredged area is completely filled with and remaining deeper areas are hardly usable for mooring vessels. The need for a proper harbour for the island has been recognised by the government and decided to develop a new harbour west of the existing dredged area to provide safe passage and shelter for the vessels operating to and from R. Fainu Island. The study investigates impacts associated with the dredging of R. Fainu harbour basin, entrance channel, harbour protection; tinctures and areas for disposal of dredged material. Also the impact of uncompleted dredging and harbour development work to the reef and lagoon of R. Fainu Island. The proposed harbour has a width of 200ft and a length of 305ft and an entrance channel which will be cut through the reef into the atoll lagoon has a width of 18m and a length of 60m. The harbour basin will be dredged to maintain an avenge depth of -3m with respect to the MSL. A total of approximately 15,000 cubic meters of dredged material is expected to be produced. This material will be used for reclamation on both eastern and western side of the harbour and excess will be used for the nourishment of the beach on the east coast of the island which at present is undergoing severe erosion. The environmental baseline of the island has been established in the approved EIA report of Fainu Island prepared in 2010. Main focus this reports is to document the changes that occurred after the harbour dredging activities conducted in 2011. This EIA has been carried out on the basis that it is necessary to carry out harbour development project at R. Fainu to facilitate socio-economic development and easy access to the island. The project has a number positive and negative impacts. The negative impacts can be effectively mitigated through right actions and implementation of the monitoring plan.Item First Addendum : environmental impact assessment for the proposed reclamation of runway extension Gan International Airport Addu City, Maldives(2013-06) SandcaysThis report addresses the environmental concerns of the proposed dredging of access channel for the purpose of land reclamation to extend the existing runway on Gan, Addu City. This report shall be read in conjunction with the EIA report for the Proposed Reclamation of Runway Extension at Gan International Airport. This report examines expected environmental and social impacts of the newly proposed method for an access channel and potential mitigation measures. The existing airport in Gan was recently open for international flights and needed to increase length of the runway to accommodate potential larger flights was imminent. Hence, reclamation of necessary land using a cutter-suction dredger was proposed. However, due to the existing reef and shallow lagoon, an access channel for the dredger needs to be made. The initial proposal to make the access channel on the southern side of the island was not possible due to hard substrate and strong waves. An alternative access channel from north-east side of the island through the lagoon on southern side of the island was proposed by the contractor. It shall be noted that the shorter access channel from the western rim reef that was proposed in the EIA report was proposed based on the recommendations of the Contractor(s) and with the assumption that the works would be started as planned during the calm days in Feb 2013. The proposed access channel dredging is not envisaged to have major significant negative constructional impacts; however, there will be minor to moderate potential environmental impacts from the operations including loss of marine biota, habited and harm to coral from sedimentation. A number of mitigation measures such as use of sedimentation screens, relocation of larger colonies of live corals were identified by the consultants. Monitoring program outlined in the EIA report was found to be sufficient and additional environmental monitoring was not found to be necessary except for water quality at the proposed dredge and fill areas. Given that the project does not have major negative environmental impacts and is unavoidable to start construction of the project, it is recommended to allow the project to proceed as proposed.Item Environmental impact assessment for the development of a slipway in M. Mulah(2013) ReefTAC MaldivesThis Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report has been prepared in order to meet the requirements of Clause 5 of the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act (No. 4/93) of the Maldives to assess the impacts of the proposed construction of a slipway at M. Mulah. The project is proposed by, Abdulla Sodiq of H. Shady Yard, Director of Shady Wood and Metal Works, Pvt. Ltd. Impacts, mitigation measures and recommendations for the different elements of the project are included. The major construction activities of the proposed project are described under ‘Scope of Work’. The project will include the dredging of a slipway basin, widening and deepening of an existing entrance channel, construction of headlands and retaining walls, slipway rails and related infrastructures including staff accommodation and winch room. Approximately 45,000sqft of area will be used for slipway development, of which 5000sqft will be on land. An area of 40,000sqft on the lagoon will be dredged to achieve the required depth of 3-4m for allowing vessels to be maneuvered onto the cradle and then onto the slipway rail. Two slipway rails of 320ft in length will be constructed at the site. An estimated 220,000cbft of will be dredged to create a slipway basin. Sand taken from this area will be used for road leveling. The existing entrance channel will be widened at narrow points to achieve a width of 35-40ft and the middle 20ft will be deepened to achieve a depth of 3-4m. Sand taken from the channel area will be used to make retaining walls along the channel. The proposed project will be carried out over a period of 7-8 months and all developmental activities will be carried out within the allocated land and marine area leased to the developer by the Island Council. Under the chapter ‘Scope of Work’, the inputs and outputs of the project are outlined. Inputs are provided with information on type of input, its source, and how it is obtained. Outputs are provided with the information on type of output, its source, and method of disposal. The next chapter, ‘Description of the Environment’, describes the general environmental setting and geographic location of M. Mulah. The monthly average values of temperature, rainfall and sunshine are included as well as baseline data collected on a field survey trip to the site, and results are provided in this section. Subsections of this chapter include bathymetry, beach profiles, vegetation, terrestrial fauna, wind speed, wave data, current speed and direction, sediment transportation, temperature, rainfall and humidity. Water samples were collected to achieve an understanding of the natural water quality parameters and to assist in conducting monitoring programs. The marine environment in the area for slipway development was surveyed during site. Fish counts and coral and substrate analyses were carried out. The average live coral cover across all sampled points is 23%. All activities during both construction and operational stages of the proposed slipway development project will be carried out in accordance with existing plans, policies, guidelines, laws and regulations of the Maldives and relevant international conventions to which Maldives is party to. The applicable policies, laws and regulations include the Environment Law, Environment Protection and Preservation Act 1993 (EPPA), Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations, 2012, Strategic Economic Plan, Transport Master Plan, National Environment Action Plan III, National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, Protected Areas and Environmentally Sensitive Areas, Regulation on Sand and Aggregate mining, Regulation on Coral Mining, Regulation on Removal of Trees, International Conventions, Treaties and Protocols. Under the chapter of ‘Potential Impacts on the Natural Environment and Mitigation Measures’ details of potential environmental impacts and relevant mitigation measures for minimizing those are provided. The main environmental impacts of the proposed project will be the damages caused during construction and irreversible modification of the marine environment as a result of excavation of the slipway basin, widening and deepening of the entrance channel and potential impacts from the operation of the slipway. The establishment of the proposed slipway is anticipated to have numerous positive impacts to the socio-cultural environment, including direct and indirect employment opportunities and a boost in the economy of the island as well as the atoll. The chapter on ‘Alternatives’ discusses the possible alternatives to the various components of the proposed project with their key advantages and disadvantages followed by recommendations. This includes the ‘no project option’ and its’ advantages, disadvantages and recommendations. An environmental monitoring and management plan is included, which is necessary to ensure that probable impacts are identified and mitigation measures swiftly implemented It is mandatory to submit a detailed monitoring report to the Environment Protection Agency of the Ministry of Environment and Energy. Consultations and inter-agency coordination was carried out to discuss the components of the project between relevant stakeholders. All consulted stakeholders were supportive of the proposed slipway project. Details of these meetings are provided. This EIA demonstrated that both short and long term impacts are expected to arise from the development of the proposed slipway project at M. Mulah. This includes negative environmental impacts to the marine and terrestrial environment and mainly positive impacts to the socio-cultural environment. After consideration of predicted impacts and identification of appropriate mitigation measures, the consultant concludes that the project is feasible, given all applicable laws and the recommendations of this EIA are adhered to and the monitoring program carried out as outlined. ReefTAC Maldives Pvt. Ltd. acknowledges the work of all participants involved in the collection of data and preparation of this EIA, and wishes to thank the Proponent, Mulah Island Council and the citizens of M. Mulah for their continuous assistance and cooperation throughout the period of this EIA.