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Item Environment impact assessment for the proposed tourist resort development project in Muravandhoo Island, Raa Atoll(2014-05) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this document is to fulfil the requirements to get necessary environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to implement the proposed resort development project in Muravandhoo Island, Raa Atoll. Muravandhoo Island was initially leased for tourism in 2011 in conjunction with the proposed airport development project in Ifuru. In addition, a resort and a marina were to be developed in Madivaafaru Island. Both these islands were awarded on the condition that Ifuru Island Airport be operational before the resort opens. Ifuru airport is nearing completion and is scheduled to open in mid-2014. The proponent of this project is Ifuru Investments Pvt Ltd. The project is a joint venture between the Government of Maldives and Ifuru Investments to partly to ensure that the Ifuru airport is operation and partly to ensure that more beds are operational in Raa Atoll. The main rationale for the project is to develop tourism in the outer atolls of the Maldives to increase the tourism bed capacity and their contribution to the local and national economic growth. Tourism development lags behinds in Raa Atoll and this project is expected to increase the speed of development in the atoll. The objective of this project is to develop and operate a five star resort on Muravandhoo Island. The project broadly involves the development and operation of a stand-alone 200 bed resort. The proposed project covers seven main components: construction of island transport infrastructure; construction of the back-of-the-house and administrative infrastructure; construction of guest rooms; construction of guest facilities; construction of utilities – sewerage, power and water infrastructure; landscaping and; resort operations. The project is estimated to take 24 months to complete. All project designs are in conformance to the laws and regulations of the Maldives, and relevant international conventions that Maldives is party to. The key laws and regulations applicable to this project are: Environmental Protection and Preservation Act, Decentralization Act, Tourism Act, tourism resort development regulations, Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2012, Waste Management Regulation, Regulation on Cutting Down and Uprooting Trees and Dewatering Regulation. Approvals have been granted for the concept by the Ministry of Tourism. Further approvals are required before construction and operations. It is a small island approximately 485 m long and 300 m wide (at its widest point), and has a land area of approximately 9.9 Ha within low tide line in March 2014. The island is generally in pristine condition, apart from its terrestrial environment. Parts of its vegetation are mature with areas of coconut dominated forests and sub littoral thickets. Most of the coconut palms and a number of other trees have been planted. The water quality is poor. There are naturally occurring deep areas allowing easy access to the island. Its reef condition is best on the northern side but the southern side is in moderately good condition as well. The beach environment on the eastern and southern side is in poor condition with very limited dry beach and ongoing erosion. Severe erosion is prevalent on the Southwest areas of the island and the Northeast corner. Erosion mitigation and beach mitigation will be required. The negative impacts from this project are typical impacts associated with resort development in Maldives. The most significant impact from this project during construction stage would be the damage to coral reef doe to over water construction activities, removal of limited vegetation, excavation and dewatering, changes to coastal processes due to coastal developments, degradation of the terrestrial and marine environment due to the worker activities, lost marine life due to overwater construction and disposal of waste. Main social impacts include potential conflicts with the atoll public if equal job opportunity is not available for construction stage or operations stage of the resort. Negative impacts during operations stage are the impacts on marine flora and fauna due to potentially high number of vessels using the lagoon, impacts on the beach due significant erosion and accretion patterns and social impacts associated with foreign workers or general lack of opportunities. Apart from the impacts from this project on the environment, the coastal environment itself will have a major impact on the project itself. Erosion is likely to continue and if left unprotected, it will pose challenges and economic losses for the operation of the property. Beach will have to be created artificially in some areas to use the proposed beach villas as classified. If the coastal structures are erected, it will reduce the aesthetic beauty of the island and will permanently alter the coastal processes. The project mainly has positive socio-economic benefits, including increased direct and indirect job opportunities and tourism growth. The key mitigation measures proposed for the construction stage include finding options to mitigate severe erosion on the island. A number of mitigation measures have been proposed in this assessment to mitigate the most significant impacts associated with the development, including reef clearance, worker activities, vegetation removal, marine construction, excavation works and utilities operation. Alternative options were evaluated for the activities that are identified to have significant impacts on the project. Alternative options have been proposed mitigate erosion and preference has been given to shore protection and consideration to undertake beach replenishment. Alternative options assessment for beach replenishment showed that more detailed assessments are required and additional approvals are recommended once more details are available. An alternative jetty has also been recommended on the south as the northern side may not be accessible year-round. Consultations were held with the island councils and public of Ugoofaaru, Dhuvaafaru and Maakurathu. This project has strong support from the island communities and all site plans have been seen by the Island Councils. There is a general dissatisfaction due to the slow pace of resort development projects in the atoll. The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for this project is designed to produce a framework for anticipated impacts, including practicable and achievable performance requirements and systems for monitoring, reporting and implementing corrective actions. In addition, provide evidence of compliance to legislation, policies, guidelines and requirements of relevant authorities. Monitoring plan is designed to assess any changes to the physical environment as well as operational aspects of the resort. The total cost of mitigation and monitoring are estimated between US$15,000 per year. The main conclusion of this report is to move forward with the proposed development after with the proposed alternatives and the suggested mitigation measures.Item Environment impact assessment for the proposed tourist resort redevelopment project in Mirihi Island Resort, South Ari Atoll(2014-03) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this document is to fulfil the requirements to get necessary environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to carry out the proposed resort redevelopment project in Mirihi Island Resort, South Ari Atoll. The proponent of this project is Manta Maldives Pvt Ltd. The primary rationale for the proposed additional activity is to upgrade its infrastructure and services to increase its appeal to high-end tourism. The proposed project involves demolition of some of the guest services, staff services, infrastructure and staff accommodation blocks; renovation of guest service infrastructure and jetties; construction of a new water suite; and manually clearing a snorkelers reef entrance. 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: Tourism Law, Environmental Protection and Preservation Act, Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2012, Waste Management Regulation, Regulation on Cutting Down and Uprooting Trees and Dewatering Regulation and tourism related regulations. Approvals for the project have been granted from Ministry of Tourism. The study area for the project is Mirihi Island Resort and baseline conditions are based on field assessments undertaken on the island in February 2014. Baseline conditions indicate that the existing environment of the proposed site is generally in good condition, particularly the marine environment. This is one of the smallest resorts in the Maldives and therefore has very limited variations in vegetation cover. The beach environment is in good condition apart from erosion on the eastern end. The dominant benthic cover in the proposed snorkeler’s reef area is live coral cover Significant impacts during construction phase of the project are potential significant impacts on the marine environment due to sedimentation, turbidity and direct excavation; impact on vegetation cover, ground water quality, marine water quality and land. The specific impacts on the coral reef and lagoon environment include loss of lagoon benthos organisms and coral life along the project foot print and temporary impacts on fish life. These impacts are likely to persist only in the short-term and are cumulative. Operations stage has mainly beneficial impacts. All these negative impacts can be minimized with proper mitigation measures recommended in the report and as practiced in the current environmental management framework. Mitigation measures have been proposed to minimise impacts on the coral reef, marine water quality, ground water quality, coastal erosion, soil contamination, terrestrial biodiversity loss and, health and safety. The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for this project is designed to produce a framework for anticipated impacts, including practicable and achievable performance requirements and systems for monitoring, reporting and implementing corrective actions. In addition, provide evidence of compliance to legislation, policies, guidelines and requirements of relevant authorities. The framework also defines communications mechanisms, training, stakeholder engagement plan and health and safety management plan. The alternatives evaluated for the project are alternative methods to create a reef entrance and additional demolition waste disposal methods. No changes are recommended except for the use of suggested additional demolition waste methods. The “No Project” option has also been explored and this option is not deemed preferable, given the current condition of the tourism product. Monitoring plan is designed to assess any changes to the marine, coastal, terrestrial and social environment of the island including groundwater quality, marine water quality, coral reef and fish health, occupational health and safety, waste, vegetation cover and socio-economic indicators. A reporting framework is established. In conclusion, the proposed additional activities for this project have 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, soil condition, vegetation, coral reef and lagoon bottom habitats. However, mitigation measures have been proposed to adequately minimise these significant impacts and the proposed EIA and the attached EMP defines the mechanisms to implement and monitor these measures.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 Environment impact assessment for the establishment of a floating fish processing facility at Hulhumale’(2013-03) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this document is to fulfil the requirements to get necessary environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to maintain the existing fish processing facility anchored in hulhumale harbour area. The proponent of this project is Ocean Seafood Pvt Ltd. The project is solely designed, implemented and financed by the proponent. The existing facility has all necessary facilities for fish processing. Including ice plants, desalination plants, generator sets etc.. The processing is divided into fish filleting, storing, packing and transporting to Male’ International Airport for airfreight. 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. The project site is Hulhumale’ harbour area designated for such vessels and many safari and tourist vessels are moored in this area. There environmental impacts from the project are to marine water quality and to subseuesnt marine life. The impacts are rather cumulative as sewage and waste water are expelled to lagoon by all the vessels in the area.. However, measures have been put forward to minimise moderate impacts and any unpredicted impacts and accidents. This project will generate new jobs in Male’ Region, which is a significant positive impact. The main alternatives assessed for the project are alternate sewage and waste water disposal methods, alternate site and island. “No project” option has also been considered and given the economic and environmental factors the best option would be to proceed with the project. Housing Development Cooperation (HDC), the main regulating authority in Hulhumale’. Monitoring plan is designed to assess any changes marine water of the site and waste generation from the facility. 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.Item Environmental impact assessment for the development of MNDF coast guard base and berthing facility phase 1- reclamation works, Uthuruthilafalhu, North Male’ Atoll(2013-03) Land and Marine Environmental Resources GroupItem Environmental impact assessment for the proposed small scale experimental aquaculture development project at Thumbafushi, North Male’ Atoll(2013-05) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this document is to fulfil the requirements to get necessary environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to carry out the proposed experimental aquaculture of grouper at Thumbafushi, North Male’ Atoll. The proponent of this project is Mr Mohamed Moosa of Ma Champa Heaven, Maldives. The main rationale for the project is to explore the potential and feasibility of aquaculture of grouper in Maldives to expand the fishing industry in order to diversify local economy and increase foreign currency by reducing the import of reef fish into the country and exporting cultured grouper products in future. The project involves three main components: (1) physical infrastructure development, (2) import of fingerlings, (3) aquaculture activities. Key infrastructure include quarantine facilities, growout facilities, indoor Hall for RAS tanks, laboratory facilities, pump house and wastewater holding and treating facilities are among the physical infrastructure to be developed. All physical infrastructure will be developed on land. Aquaculture activities include importing fingerlings and culturing grouper to the marketable size. 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 1993 and Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2012. The proposed project site is on the north western edge of the island and the area is barren land with no vegetation. Live coral cover at the north western side of the island is low with 6-15% variation. Benthic cover is dominated with rocky basement. No unique or threatened species or habitats are found in the close proximity to the proposed project site. No marine protected areas are located within 10 km radius of the proposed project site. Significant adverse impacts of this project during construction phase of the project are anticipated to be the health and safety risks to construction workers. The potential impacts are hugely reduced with RAS system however significant impacts during operational phase include potential contamination of marine water with pathogens and impacts of biodiversity if an infected animal is released to the wild. All these impacts can be minimized with proper mitigation measures recommended in the report. Key mitigation measures for the construction stage include use of desalinated water for construction and use of completing the works in shortest time possible. Use of sustainable systems (RAS) and maintaining a quarantine facility with lab facility are suggested to minimise adverse impacts during the operational stage. The alternatives evaluated for the project are alternative location, culture techniques and source of fingerlings. In addition no project alternative is also considered and this option is not deemed preferable. The monitoring plan is designed to assess any changes to the marine environment of the island, as well the groundwater and marine water quality as these are the key areas that may be impacted from this project in the long term. Use of chemicals and treated wastewater water from the facility will also be monitored. 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 it will 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 on marine water quality and marine biodiversity due to introduction of pathogens and release of infected organism into the wild , as well as the potential risk to health and safety during construction. However, mitigation measures have been proposed to minimise these impacts. This project, if successful, is expected to provide significant beneficial socio-economic benefits.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed submerged breakwater construction at Coco Island Resort, North Male’ Atoll(2013-08) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this document is to fulfil the requirements to get necessary environmental clearance from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to construct the proposed submerged seawall at Coco Island Resort, Makunufushi, South Male’ Atoll. The proponent of this project is Orchid Resorts Management Pvt Ltd, Maldives. The main rationale for the project is to reduce impact from wave, currents and propeller activity to the lobster cage of the Cocoa Island resort located on the Northern side of the island. Given the condition of the area, occasional strong current usually results in physical damage to the lobsters in the cage and in many occasions death. There is an urgent need to reduce the damage to the lobsters to make this activity viable. Thus, it is proposed to construct a 10 m long submerged seawall that would reduce the impacts. All project activities will be in conformance to the laws and regulations of the Maldives, and relevant international conventions that Maldives is party to. The key laws and regulations applicable to this project are: Environmental Protection and Preservation Act, Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2012 and the Tourism Act. The proposed project site was observed to have a pile of dead coral placed during construction phase of the resort. The area, at present, consists of dead coral. Significant impacts during construction phase of the project are the potential sedimentation, reduction in marine water quality, temporary turbidity, and subsequent impact on marine life 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, 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 include an alternative project site. The proposed site is the preferred option as this site already has dead corals and environmental damage is less compared to the alternative site. The “No Project” option has also been explored and this option is not deemed preferable, given the condition of the existing conditions. 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, it provides 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 impactsItem Environment impact assessment for the proposed land reclamation and resort development project in Dhiffushi Reef, Kaafu Atoll(2013-06) CDE ConsultingThis Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report is an evaluation of the potential environmental impacts the proposed land reclamation and resort development project in Dhiffushi Reef, North Male’ Atoll. The proponent of this project is Mr. Hamid Ismail, H. Hirifushi, Male’ Maldives. The project contractor has not been finalised yet. The EIA consultant is CDE Consulting. Architect is Gedor Architecture, Maldives. This EIA has been developed based on the Term of Reference (ToR) issued by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on 28 February 2013. This document is submitted by the proponent to EPA to fulfil the requirements for an IEE under Article 5 of the Environment Protection and Preservation Act (4/93). The EIA Regulations 2007 have been used as the basis for developing this document. The Government of the Maldives (GOM) in its efforts to enhance the economic potential of the Maldives has been trying to speed up the planned increase in tourist bed capacity in order to meet the steady increase in tourist arrivals. So far, the construction of resorts has lagged behind and there is a need to introduce more beds as soon possible. This project forms part of the overall effort to increase bed capacity. The Male’ region with its proximity to the Male’ International Airport offers unparalleled advantages to develop certain types of tourism products. However, there are not enough islands in the Atoll or even the region to consider for new developments. Almost all available islands have been leased or handed over to relevant authorities for economic or infrastructure development. The only available option is to reclaim land from shallow reefs. A number of resorts have already been enlarged through reclamation such as One and Only Reethi Rah, the former Dhonveli Beach Resort, Sonevagili Island Resort, Paradise Island Resort, Fun Island Resort and Olhuveli Island Resort. These islands have increased their bed capacity through reclamation. There are also a number of new islands being created from land reclamation in Male’ Atoll such as Hulhumale’ Island and Gulhifalhu Island. This method is now accepted in Maldives as the main means to relieve land shortage. In 2008, the GOM decided to lease a section of the reef of Kaashidhoo Island (an inhabited island) located in Male’ Atoll. The project was opened for bidding and Mr. Ahmed Shafeeg (Ma. Nivico, Male’) won the bid. Kaashidhoo Island is one of the largest islands of Maldives located in the Kaashidhoo Channel as an Oceanic Island or a separate ‘one island” atoll. The reef area allocate for the development was northern end of the reef system. Following the award, Mr. Ahmed Shafeeg came to an agreement with Mr. Hamid Ismail to finance and build the property. Mr. Hamid Ismail has now been granted the rights to build the property. The proponent initiated studies to develop the concept plan for the resort. However, it soon became apparent that the proposed site is highly exposed to strong wave activities during both NE and SW monsoon. The cost of development was found to be extremely high due to the existing conditions on the site. There were concerns that the existing Kaashidhoo Island shoreline may also undergo drastic changes due to any reclamation in the reef. Moreover, accessibility to the island was identified as being difficult due the need to cross the notoriously rough South Kaashidhoo Channel. Given the challenges and difficulties in financing the project in Kaashidhoo Reef, the proponent requested GoM for a location change to another site in Male’ Atoll. During 2011, GoM decided to develop some of the sand banks within Male’ Atoll already leased for resort activities to be reclaimed and developed as resort islands. Under this programme, three reefs have already been finalised for reclamation. This includes ‘Navaagan Island” and Nakachchaa Huraa reef in Male’ Atoll. There were also a number of other reefs in consideration including 10 islands in one reef comprising 100 ha and 10 other islands from various locations within atoll reef (M. Solih, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Tourism 2012, Pers. Comm, 15 Jan). Under this programme, the GoM decided to allow the proponent to switch the location to Dhiffushi Reef in Male’ Atoll. It has to be noted that this would be the first time where an island is proposed to be reclaimed from scratch to develop a resort island. Approval has also been granted to reclaim and enlarge an existing island (Kuda Viligilli) about 3 km south of the proposed site. The proposed location within the reef has been suggested by the Ministry of Tourism and the final location was fixed by the proponent in consultation with the Ministry.Item Environment impact assessment for the proposed luxury villa development project in Dhapparu Island, Haa Alifu Atoll(2013-08) CDE ConsultingThis Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an evaluation of the potential environmental and social impacts of the proposed resort development project in Dhapparu Island, Haa Alifu Atoll. The proponent of this project is Noomadi Resorts and Residences Anstalt. The project contractor has not been finalised yet. The EIA consultant is CDE Consulting and engineering consultant is Gedor Architecture. As a variation to the tourism development programme of Maldives and a desire to provide direct benefits of tourism development to the public, President Nasheed’s Government initiated a plan to develop Luxury Villas in inhabited and uninhabited islands. The focus was both to raise finance for public housing projects while increasing tourism related bed capacity and diversity of the tourism product. These properties were meant purely for long-term lease as plot of land (not the whole island), which the proponent could use to construct a luxury villa and lease/sell to prospective clients. Under this programme, on 9 August 2010, based on a Cabinet Decision, the Government of Maldives awarded Dhapparu Island (part of Filladhoo Island, Haa Alifu Atoll, and a declared uninhabited island) to Noomadi Resorts Residence to construct 50 luxury villas (20,000 sq ft for every 10 housing units developed). In addition, 100,000 sq ft of land is allocated for the development of support services, since this is an uninhabited island. The proposal included the construction of 500 housing units in Kelaa, Baarah, Hoarafushi and Ihavandhoo. Dhapparu Island was classified as an uninhabited island by the Cabinet on 3 August 2010. This project is completely different from a typical tourism development project in that the land leased for development is not the entire island but allocated plots. The proponent has been given land to build villas as well as additional land for support facilities and infrastructure. The objective is to sell or lease this property to potential customers as a residential unit, and thus, a different product from that of resort tourism. The plots will be developed and sold to potential clients. The clients will utilize the services on the island, including utilities, restaurants and other facilities based on a user-pays system. The aim of this project is to develop and operate luxury villas in Ha. Dhapparu Island as part of the agreement to construct 500 housing units in inhabited islands. The specific objectives are: (1) develop the necessary infrastructure for the functioning of a stand-alone residential island; (2) operation of a luxury villa residential island; and (3) diversify the tourism product offered in the North Maldives and increase the bed capacityItem Environmental audit for registration of desalination plant at Vilamendhoo Resort, Alifu Dhaalu Atoll, Maldives(2011-04) 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 the utility services. The project involves auditing of the existing desalination plant in Vilamendhoo Resort and Spa. Desalination system involves two plants with capacity 200 m3 per day each and two water storage tanks with a capacity of 710 m3. The seawater intake is located on the southern side of the island with a length of 170 m from the desalination plant house. The brine discharge point is located on the northern side of the island at a distance of 130 m from the desalination plant house. 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 although there are limitations in the parameters tested due to unavailability of tests at National Health Laboratory. Marine life needs to be further monitored at the brine discharge location to ascertain whether there is a long term impact from discharge of brine. 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 that could be conducted shows that the groundwater is in good condition. Mitigation measures that are in place to reduce the environmental impacts associated with the operation of the facility include appropriate distance of brine and seawater 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.