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Item Environmental impact assessment : tourist resort development at Kudafushi, Raa Atoll, Maldives(2014-09) Sharkventures LLPMr. Ali Zahir of H. Iruvelige proposes to develop a 106-Room (212 Beds) tourist resort on the island of Kudafushi located in Raa Atoll, Maldives. The resort will be developed as a 4-Star tourist resort mainly targeting for middle market clients. The proposed project will involve development of 71 Beach Villas, 35 Water Villas, support facilities and services for tourists and staff of the resort. Mr. Ali Zahir of H. Iruvelige, Male’ is the project initiator and developer. He has been engaged in trade business for a number of years mainly dealing with supplying of construction material, goods, oil and various other items to a number of private and government companies as well as his involvement in business includes provision of services equipment such as sewerage treatment plants, desalination plants, engines and spare parts and waste management equipment to the private sector. This EIA is prepared in accordance with the Terms of Reference (TOR) approved by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on 7 August 2014. It is a legal requirement that new projects having potential for environmental impacts gain environmental clearance or approval prior to construction and operation of such projects. Environmental clearance is obtained through submission and approval of EIA by Environmental Protection Agency of Ministry of Environment and Energy. The proposed tourist resort development on Kudafushi Island is estimated to cost around US$ 22 Million. The development of Kudafushi Island in Raa Atoll as a tourist resort being a development project it becomes compulsory for the developer to produce EIA in accordance with the procedures and guidelines set forward from the concerning government authority (Environmental Protection Agency of Ministry of Environment and Energy) since the project may generate adverse impacts on the environment. The development concept of Kudafushi Island as a tourist holiday maker destination is purely based on the experience of the Maldives, its people, culture, tradition, community and the lifestyle. The resort development will be blended into the island setting and the unique environment of the island and the total build-up area will not exceed 30% of the total land area in order to ensure carrying capacity limits of the island are respected. The project will be completed within a period of 18 months. Kudafushi Island is located on the inside of Raa Atoll more towards the southern and eastern inside of the atoll. The island is located at 5°30'38.83"N and 72°58'49.62"E. The Island is oval in shape oriented E-W and is found in a single reef that has similar island shape. The island is located more on the western side of the oval reef. The island has approximately 490m in length and 180m in width and has an approximate land area of 10ha. All development activities whether small or large-scale are believed to generate a number of environmental consequences and implications of which some are positive and others are negative. The most immediate and visible environmental impacts are believed to be associated during the construction stages of the development. In this regard the following environmental impacts are predicted for the construction stages of the proposed development. These include: loss of vegetation and habitats; loss of soil organisms and habitats; groundwater depletion; pollution of island environment; loss of aesthetic quality; impacts of construction work force; impacts of construction machinery on the island; impacts on the reefs from water villa and jetty construction; impacts from construction machinery operation in the lagoon. The long-term or the operation stage impacts can impose serious threats to the environment of the island due to the continuous nature of some of the activities and will be very difficult to deal with due to the complexity of certain impacts where it will be felt simultaneously on the environment during the operation of the island. The main impacts during the resort operation are predicted to be; land degradation; groundwater depletion; impacts from solid waste disposal; impacts from wastewater disposal; impacts from sewage disposal; impacts from waste oil disposal and potential oil spills; impacts from pesticides and chemicals; impacts from boat activities; impacts from tourist activities. Coral reef and island environments are highly fragile and vulnerable ecosystems, therefore, are susceptible to high degrees and magnitudes of environmental impacts. Such impacts generating from various coastal projects cannot be completely stopped neither can they be reduced or minimized unless effective management and mitigation measures as well as remediation are well placed accordingly. A number of general measures will be taken into consideration during the initial construction and operation of resort on the island. In this regard, the construction and operations of the island will be guided by Environmental Management Plan and Contingency Plan. Various alternatives in terms of locations and various project activities and methods for the development of Kudafushi have been outlined in the EIA report. Justifications for preferred options, locations and methods have been outlined. The alternatives include; alternative locations for water bungalow development, alternative construction methods, alternative resort layout as well as no development option. The main socio-economic benefit of the project to the nearby communities in Raa Atoll include creation of new employment opportunities, market for of construction material, agricultural products, fisheries products locally produced, improved local economy and improved living standards in the Atoll as well as support to development of local infrastructure. On the negative side, fishermen are concerned about losing some fishing and baitfishing grounds as introduction of tourism may put pressure on them not to use such areas for fishing. The main socio-economic benefit of the project to the nearby communities in Raa Atoll include creation of new employment opportunities, market for of construction material, agricultural products, fisheries products locally produced, improved local economy and improved living standards in the Atoll as well as support to development of local infrastructure. On the negative side, fishermen are concerned about losing some fishing and baitfishing grounds as introduction of tourism may put pressure on them not to use such areas for fishing. The overall environmental performance will be monitored by an environmental monitoring framework that will be implemented as part of the proposed tourist resort development on Kudafushi Island, Raa Atoll.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed harbour reconstruction project in Maamendhoo, Gaafu Alifu Atoll(2013-02) 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 development project in Maamendhoo, Gaafu Alifu Atoll. The proponent of this project is Ministry of Housing & Infrastructure. The main rationale for the project is to improve the access facilities of Maamendhoo Island to facilitate improvement in the social and economic condition of the island. The existing harbour in the island is in urgent need of repair and maintenance. Maamendhoo harbour is used by large fishing vessels, safari boats and cargo vessels, and the of the fishing and transport sectors of the island requires expansion of the harbour facilities for access and anchorage. The project involves new and maintenance dredging of an area of 22,230 m2 to a depth of -3.0 m MSL, extension of the existing breakwater and construction of quay wall and revetments. A total area of 5,625 m2 will be reclaimed to +1.5 m (MSL) and protected using revetments. The existing harbour will be expanded by about 400 ft in length. 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 and Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2012. Significant impacts of this project during construction phase of the project are the potential impact of sedimentation on the marine water quality and consequent impact on marine life, direct loss of marine life within the project footprint and the health and safety risks to construction workers. All these impacts can be minimized with proper mitigation measures recommended in the report The main mitigation measures include carrying out construction activities during low tide hours and calm weather, deployment of silt screen or construction of bunds on the northern side and where appropriate to reduce sediment dispersal and avoid adverse sedimentation impacts, relocation of live coral recruits to locations with similar conditions, and proper supervision of all activities by qualified personnel. The work schedule and duration will also be planned to avoid disruptive weather conditions and complete construction activities in the shortest time possible. The alternatives evaluated for the project are dredging methods, sediment control methods, dredge waste disposal sites, alternative entrance channel and alternative harbour layout. The “No Project” option has also been explored and this option is not deemed preferable, given the current condition of the harbour and the need for expansion. The monitoring plan is designed to assess any changes to the coral reef environment of the island, coastal changes and depth variations of harbour area as well the marine water quality as these are the key areas that will be impacted from this project. The management plan for this project is designed to produce a framework for anticipated impacts, including practicable and achievable performance requirements and systems for monitoring, reporting and implementing corrective actions. In addition provide evidence of compliance to legislation, policies, guidelines and requirements of relevant authorities. In conclusion, this project has been designed in conformance to the relevant laws and regulations of Maldives. The most significant impacts are expected to be short-term impacts on the marine water quality, coral reef and lagoon bottom habitats. However, mitigation measures have been proposed to adequately minimise these significant impacts.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed development of sewerage system at Eydhafushi, Baa Atoll, Maldives(2008-08) Oriental Consultants; Yachiyo EngineeringThis report discusses the findings of a social and environmental impact study undertaken by Oriental Consultants and Yachiyo Engineering of Japan at the request of the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water. Although this is a rehabilitation project, the sewerage system in Eydhafushi is beyond rehabilitation and needs a complete makeover. Therefore, in accordance with the requirements of the EIA Regulation, an EIA is proposed to be done for the proposed project. The project involves the decommissioning of the existing system and development of a new sewerage system in Eydhafushi. This project is initiated by the government of Maldives with funding from Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) as part of the tsunami rehabilitation programme. The existing sewerage system of Eydhafushi was built by the people on a need basis by different individuals connecting their septic tank systems to gravity flow sewer pipes disposing to the lagoon. The system is not so functionable and has some environmental problems, which need to be addressed. The system is similar to the “Small Bore Sewerage System”, which is basically a gravity flow system which the government in collaboration with UNICEF established in some of the most populous island such as Kandholhudhoo and Hinnavaru. The environment of Eydhafushi may be described as well managed, with few environmental problems with appropriate solid waste management, well maintained private sewer lines with nearshore outfalls, clear lagoon which is seeing increasing signs of pollution from nearshore disposal of sewage using multiple outfalls spread around the island, good housing with apropriate ventilation, sound level of urban planning, presence of beach and recreational areas and groundwater less contaminated compared to several islands of similar size and population density. Stakeholder consultations were held with various groups, including the community and the client in order to incorporate the socio‐economic components in the project. It was observed that the community of Eydhafushi is less dependent upon the government than many other islands, which are dependent for reasons of bureaucratic system of government people have been used to. Environmental impacts were assessed for both the construction and operation phase of the project. Most of the environmental impacts of the project have been identified as positive resulting mainly from improvements to groundwater and lagoon water quality and resulting reduction in water‐borne and water‐related diseases and general ill‐health. The main negative impact of the project would be that of excessive drawdown on the aquifer resulting from the improved sewerage system. There are other minor negative impacts such as small amount of excavation to lay the outfall pipe and dewatering to lay the sewer network in some areas including dewatering for the construction of manholes, lift stations and sumpwell at the STP and outfall. These impacts are considered to be moderate but short‐term. The socio‐economic benefits of the project may be considered to outweigh the negative impacts of the project. Mitigation measures for anticipated negative impacts have been identified and outlined in detail, including minimizing dewatering, laying the sewers properly including the outfall, locating the outfall at adequate depth, including secondary treatment before discharging final effluent to sea, removal of existing sewers and outfalls and improvements to lagoon and coastal conditions in order to attain the benefits of the project. The main mitigation measure would be water conservation and measures to minimize drawdown on the aquifer. This is considered necessary whatever the sewerage system, if it uses groundwater for flushing. The proposed design for Eydhafushi sewerage system has been prepared after considering all impacts, discussions with community and consideration of mitigation measures. It is inevitable that there would be some negative environmental impacts. However, these are minor compared to the positive effects of the proposed system. Yet, monitoring to ensure the effectiveness of the proposed system would be necessary. Therefore, a monitoring component has been suggested which takes in to consideration, the most important elements that require regular checks. This monitoring component will be adhered to and will allow the assessment of changes due to construction and implementation of the proposed sewerage system. Monitoring is specifically focussed on ground and surface water quality changes. Reef monitoring is considered inappropriate given the scale of anthropogenic damage to the reefs of Eydhafushi. In conclusion, it appears justified from a technical and environmental point of view, to carry out the proposed project to improve sanitation in Eydhafushi.Item Environmental impact assessment report for development of breakwater at GA. Kandhuhulhudhoo(2013-02) Energy ConsultancyThe island of Kanduhulhudhoo is the most the south island of G.A atoll, located approximately at 0° 21’ 05.21’’ N and 73° 32’ 21.75’’ E. The 31ha Island has a population of 874. From the observation carried out at the island, it was found a major part of the beach has been eroded and precautions need to be taken to stop further erosion. In some places the erosion has reach as far as beyond the vegetation line, and in some areas, the beach rock can be found. In this project there will be a small amount of dredging to deepen the harbor basin and the clearance of the existing breakwater. From the community consultation it was suggested to transfer this dredge material and rubbles to be relocated to an eroded site for the prevention of further erosion. The major impact in this project lies in the marine basin. At the completion of this project some of the marine topographic features would be lost due to the dredging and the construction of the breakwater. This impact is identified as a permanent or long term irreversible damage. In order to minimize the damage, the zones where the activities takes place needed to be clearly marked and the various activities needed to be restricted to these zones. The sedimentation deposit during the construction phase is identified to be reversible and a short term impact. This impact could be minimized by undertaking various activities during low tide. During the construction phase the contractor should be careful on handling machineries. Pollutions such as oil spill have to be avoided during the mobilization, construction and demobilization phase. The safety of the workers shall be the first and foremost priority of the contractor. The proponent has an obligation of monitoring the environment during both construction and operational phaseItem Environmental impact assessment : L. Dhabidhoo harbor development project(2012-12) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of a social and environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. at the request of Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure for the proposed harbour rehabilitation project at L. Dhanbidhoo. L. Dhanbidhoo is located on the northern rim of Laamu Atoll and has a population of 800. The island economy depends mainly on agriculture. The existing harbour at the island was constructed in 90’s. The quay wall was constructed using corals. The quay wall had been badly damaged and the harbour has become too small to cater the large and deep draft vessels which call to the harbour. Hence the proposed project is to develop the existing harbour which can cater the growing demand for the vessels which will be using the islands for the next 15 years. The proposed harbour development project includes, construction of 197 m of quay on eastern, southern and northern side of the harbour using L blocks, deepening the harbour basin to – 3 at mean sea level, development of a harbour basin by 137 m long and 78 m wide, construction of 150 m rock boulder breakwater using dredged material as the core material. The project also includes deepening of the three access channels to a depth of – 3m at MSL. As part of the project, market lights would be place at the entrance channels. The excavation work of the project is expected to generate around 34,900 m3 of dredged materials of which 6,000 m3 is expected to be used as core materials of the breakwater, 12,000 m3 as back filling at the quay walls and 16,900 m3 to replenish the area of the beach on southern end of the harbour. 60 m long revetment would be constructed north and south of the harbour to protect the harbour from erosion. Environmental and socioeconomic impacts of the project were assessed. The impacts of the project result mainly from excavation of the harbour basin and entrance channel and disposal of excavated materials. The impact of excavation would be that of sedimentation. This impact is considered to be minor and short-term. Re-excavation of the entrance channels and harbour basin would have irreversible impacts. The project would help to address the current erosion problem by replenishing the eroding beach with the materials borrowed from the harbour basin. The socio-economic benefits of the project may be considered to outweigh the negative impacts of the project on the physical environment of the island especially increasing the usable space on the quay wall, mooring area at the island’s harbour and additional land that would be available to develop fish processing industry. The proposed project conforms to prevalent environmental legislation and thrives to achieve its objectives in an environmentally friendly manner. Mitigation measures for these anticipated impacts have been identified and outlined in detail, including sedimentation and stagnation control methods and measures for minimizing negative effects demolition of the quay wall and the generation of construction waste. These mitigation measures need to be followed in order to minimize environmental damage. The details of the project have been established after considering the needs and requirements of the community by assessing and incorporating the outcomes from the community consultations held during the data collection stage. The EIA also allowed to explore alternatives for the proposed development and identified key mitigation strategies. Alternative locations and alternative designs have been investigated for the different components of the project. However, the present project design seems to be a feasible option in terms of costs, durability and safety. An environmental management plan with environmental monitoring plan has been developed including important elements that require regular checks. This monitoring component will be adhered to and will allow the assessment of changes due to construction of the harbour. Although the project involves inevitable negative environmental impacts, such impacts are not severe as to not undertake the project. The project is justifiable in light of the socioeconomic conditions and anticipated benefits resulting from the project, which seem to outweigh the negative environmental impacts.Item Item Environmental audit for registration of desalination plant at Mirihi Island Resort, South Ari Atoll(2011-05) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this Environmental Audit report is to fulfill the requirements of Maldives Water and Sanitation Authority guidelines to get necessary environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency to carry out the registration of the desalination plant. The project involves environmental auditing of the existing desalination plant in Mirihi Island Resort for registration of the desalination plant. Desalination system involves one desalination plant with a total capacity of 100 tonnes per day and two water storage tanks with a capacity of 180 tonnes and 88 tonnes approximately. The seawater intake is located on the southeastern side of the island with a length of 12 m from the shoreline. The brine discharge point is located at the western side of the island at a distance of 5.8 m from the shoreline. The structural integrity of the facilities is considered good. Noise levels are perceived as high for a mixed residential and industrial zone although it must be taken into account that space is limited and location of staff areas near plant house is inevitable. The environmental impacts associated with this project include, increased noise levels and impact on marine environment due to brine discharge. There are indirect impacts associated with consumption of energy for desalination. Power generation has the potential to degrade air quality and contributes to global warming. In addition, fuel handling related to power generation is a potential risk for ground water and soil contamination from fuel spills and leaks. Noise measurements taken during the field visit conforms to international standards while marine water quality tests show normal conditions. However, live coral cover in the brine discharge area was found to relatively low compared to the ambient environment, which cannot be concluded as the cause for low level of coral cover. Visual observation identifies no notable damage to existing vegetation around the desalination plant house and no indication of any fuel spills or leaks around the area. Groundwater quality tests conducted is interpreted as a false result as the available conditions and data does not correlate with resultant due to some sort of analysis error. Mitigation measures that are in place to reduce the environmental impacts associated with the operation of the facility include appropriate distance of brine and sweater pipes from shoreline and installation of sound attenuators to reduce the noise levels from the plant house. In order to protect the environment from potential fuel spills, proper pipelines are established and fuel storage is in bunded areas. A monitoring plan is proposed to observe any changes taking place due to the operation of desalination plant. In the event that monitoring indicates that any environmental quality is deteriorating to unacceptable levels, the proponent will correct operation procedures that are contributing to the problem and/or undertake necessary engineering installations.Item Environmental audit for registration of the existing desalination plant at Kaafu Funadhoo Isalnd, Kaafu Atoll, Maldives(2011-10) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this Environmental Audit report is to fulfill the requirements to get necessary environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to carry out the registration of the desalination plant at Kaafu Funadhoo. The project involves auditing of the existing desalination plant in Kaafu Funadhoo. Desalination system involves one (01) plant with a total capacity of 50 m3 per day. There is one (01) water storage tank with the capacity of 500 metric tons. The seawater intake is located on the South West (SW) of the island with a length of approximately 145 m from the shoreline. The brine discharge point is located West South West (WSW) side if the island extending a length of approximately 0.1 m from the shoreline and into the lagoon region. The facility is under operation from the year 2002. The environmental impacts associated with this project include, increased noise levels, impingement and entrainment of marine organisms during seawater intake, impact on marine environment due to brine discharge, waste management hazards related to chemicals handling and disposal and beneficial impact of preserving the groundwater. There are indirect impacts associated with consumption of energy for desalination. Power generation has the potential to degrade air quality and contributes to global warming. In addition, fuel handling related to power generation is a potential risk for ground water and soil contamination from fuel spills and leaks. A number of mitigation measures are already in place. Facility is located considerably the best spot accounting to the lack of land and space. Desalination plant house building is elevated above ground level and attenuated to reduce noise level. Seawater intake and brine discharge are appropriately located from shoreline. Seawater intake is appropriately designed with a copper foot valve at the uptake end. In order to protect the environment from potential fuel spills, proper pipelines are established and fuel storage is in bunded areas. The desalination system is in compliance with Desalination Regulation of Maldives. Source water is from the deep sea. Sedimentation tank is appropriately sized and located. The desalination plant house is located to minimize aesthetic impact. Capacity of desalination system exceeds the demand for water. Brine discharge is at appropriate, location marine assessment indicates no or less proliferation of biodiversity that needs further investigating. Desalination plant house includes channel ways for drainage and is kept clean and tidy with clear pathways. Chemicals are organized with proper labeling. Operation manuals are available and easily accessible. The structural integrity of the facilities is considered good. Environmental management plan is provided particularly for desalination units, product water quality, fire prevention, chemicals handling and waste management. A monitoring plan is proposed to observe any changes taking place due to the operation of desalination plant. In the event that monitoring indicates that any environmental quality is deteriorating to unacceptable levels, the proponent will correct operation procedures that are contributing to the problem and/or undertake necessary engineering installations.Item Environmental impact assessment for coastal protection and erosion control on west of runway 18, Malé International Airport, Hulhulé, Kaafu Atoll, Maldives(2010-04-05) SandcaysThis report addresses the environmental concerns of the proposed quaywall strengthening and erosion control of western coast of Runway 18, Malé International Airport, Hulhulé, Kaafu Atoll. The primary objective of the project is to enhance the safety of the airstrip at the turning pad area, which is prone to flooding during rough weather due to wave overtopping from existing sheetpile structure. As a result there is scour behind the sheetpile wall increasing the threat of subsidence or structural weakening of the western edge of the turning pad area. Therefore, there is an immediate need to protect this area by strengthening existing sheetpile quaywall with additional protection measures. Hence, different options for the coastal protection have been evaluated and the most practicable options not entailing excessive costs have been recommended. Since this is an immediate and temporary measure, minimal protection has been proposed, which is the protection of the immediate area behind the turning pad where sheetpile structure has been placed. The length of protection is about 100m. The other areas with concrete gravity seawalls have not been considered for protection as these areas are not severely affected and the entire area, including the 100m coastline which is proposed for immediate protection, would be reclaimed in the near future, as per the Airport Master Plan. The different options for the protection of the proposed 100m coastline immediately behind the turning pad area include revetments along the coastline or offshore breakwaters covering a length of about 250m on the dead reef flat at about 100m from the sheetpile coastline. Two types of materials have been considered for the revetments: single layer Core-Loc armour units and 2.5m3 geotextile containers filled with sand. The Core-Loc units have very high permeability (50-60% voids) to absorb wave energy while the geotextile containers have no voids when placed together. Therefore, the design using geotextile containers have been revised to incorporate about 15% voids, thereby improving the wave energy absorption capacity. Based on the costs and wave energy absorption potential of each type of material, it is recommended to use the Core-Loc units. However, these units are not readily available in the Maldives, therefore, geotextile containers have been recommended due to the urgency of the project. In both cases, the revetments have been designed to provide adequate wave runup to minimize the force of the wave. Additional protection would not be required. For the breakwater also, the above two types of materials have been considered and submerged breakwaters as well as emerged breakwaters have been considered. The breakwater option is expensive given the length of the breakwater. Also, the distance between the potential breakwater location and the shore area to be protected is about 100m, which makes it less effective as wind-generated waves will reoccur inside the lee of the breakwater. Other options such as groynes have not been considered because the lagoon on this side has been dredged. Imported rock boulders could also be used for both the revetment option and the breakwater option. However, the cost of boulders and the time to deliver to site makes it impracticable and has not been considered. Moreover, a structure with rock boulders would be less permeable (about 30-40%) than the proposed Core-Loc armour units. Hence, cost was the deciding factor in choosing the Core-Loc units and geotextile containers over rock boulders. The reef flat at the area in which the proposed offshore breakwater would be constructed is almost entirely dead with high levels of sediment resuspended in the water column. This is due to the increased sediment level from dredging that had taken place in the area. There is also the cumulative effect of sediment resuspension resulting from the Hulhumalé reclamation, but this is expected to be small. The reef slope and edge in this area would not be severely affected as no machinery would be used in or closer to these areas during the implementation of the proposed project activities. All machinery would be used on the shallow reef flat area, which consists of bedrock and a few dead coral porites. Given the level of dredging, reclamation and coastal protection works that have been carried out in the area, the cumulative impacts of the proposed project would be negligible. Therefore, this project is not considered to have adverse environmental or social impacts but there would be economic impacts that would be positive in that the dangers of potential subsidence of the airstrip turning pad is minimized with greater flood control and protection afforded by the proposed temporary coastal protection structures. However, mitigation measures to minimize any damage to reef will be in place and the project components will be well planned considering minimal aesthetic impact although this area is not aesthetically sensitive. Environmental monitoring is not recommended for the project under consideration except monitoring of the effectiveness of the structures for at least one year after construction. However, it is recommended that the Maldives Airports Company in association with other operators in Hulhulé initiate and conduct an island-wide environmental monitoring programme which would cover the environmental monitoring needs of all projects undertaken on the island.Item Environmental impact assessment : coastal protection at Paradise Island Resort, Kaafu Atoll, Maldives(2010-08-01) SandcaysThis report addresses the environmental concerns of the proposed coastal protection at Paradise Island Resort located on Lankanfinolhu in North Malé Atoll. The primary objective of the project is to protect the coastal infrastructure of Paradise Island Resort and also enhance the natural environmental of Paradise and to improve the services offered to guests thereby minimizing operational and environmental costs. As such the project encompasses the replenishment of approximately 200m of beach at the arrival jetty and swimming pool area on the western side and about 300m of shoreline on the eastern side at the base of the water villas jetty. Paradise Island is surrounded by a large expanse of lagoon or reef flat on the eastern side and similar but not so great expanse of reef flat and lagoon on the western side. The western side beach is, therefore, much more prone to wave attack than the eastern side. The western side is exposed to wind generated waves during the southwest monsoon while the eastern side is exposed to wind generated waves during the northeast monsoon as well as swells during both monsoons. The eastern side reef flat has recently been subjected to anthropogenic changes during the construction of water villas which were destroyed by the tsunami of 2004 as a result of which the erosion of the eastern beaches at the foot of the water villa jetty has been severed. However, the western side beaches have been a victim of wave-induced erosion during the southwest monsoon for as long as the island existed. Therefore, regular beach nourishment by pumping sand from nearshore areas has helped to keep the beaches intact to some extent. Such frequent beach nourishment creates more sediment suspension and resuspension in the water column causing deterioration of the quality of the main product, which is the natural environment. Continuous beach nourishment would also provide little protection to these eroding areas without structural protection. Shore protection measures have, therefore, been evaluated and most practicable option(s) chosen to protect the eroding areas and minimize the frequency of beach nourishment. The proposed coastal protection structure is a breakwater that would be submerged at high tide. Such a breakwater is expected to provide adequate protection from wave induced erosion on both sides, which is the cause for concern at present. The overall environmental impacts of the project have been assessed using appropriate matrices and the results indicated that the proposed project has a net positive impact. That is, the project has no major adverse impacts on the environment as far as current knowledge is concerned. Given that the project has major socio-economic benefits and some environmental benefits, it is advisable to allow the project to proceed as proposed. It is also recommended to continue to monitor the impacts of the proposed project by regular monitoring of shorelines and nearshore currents for at least two years and communicate and feed the data into the EIA system in the country.