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Item Environmental impact assessment for the relocation of feul tanks at MWSC compound, Male’ City(2016-02) Land and Marine Environmental Resources GroupBackground The non-technical summary outlines the findings of the Environmental Impact Assessment of the proposed relocation of existing fuel tanks of the Male’ Water and Sewerage Company Pvt Ltd. The proponent of the proposed project is Male’ Water and Sewerage Company Pvt Ltd. The total estimated cost of this project is MVR 1,000,000.00 The proposed project involves relocation of the existing fuel tanks of the Male’ Water and Sewerage Company Pvt Ltd which is as per recommendation by the MNDF, following the fire incident which occurred at the facility in 2015. Key impacts, mitigation measures and alternatives Impacts on the environment from various activities of the construction work and during the operation of the facility have been identified through interviews with the project management team, field data collection and surveys and are also based on past experience of consultant in similar development projects. Mitigation measures have also been identified for impacts which are irreversible in nature. Impact analysis was done using the Leopold matrix. Impact analysis showed that impact due to the project was due to possible accidental spillage and leakage during the construction phase and operational phase. However, this impact was envisaged to be minor to moderate during both phases and reasons for this are discussed in Section 9. Mitigation measures are discussed in the report for potential impacts, including mitigation in the event of accidental spillage/leakage and consequent groundwater contamination. Measures include careful handling and daily inspection of fuel lines/bund wall for detection of leakage. Given the scope of the project and the need, the “do-nothing” option or no project scenario is the only alternative available for the project. If this is chosen the fuel tanks would remain at the existing location, which has been identified as one which is not feasible or ideal technically or safety-wise. Furthermore, the existing location does not confirm to regulation regarding fuel handling and storage. Hence the no-project scenario is considered not feasible and thus the project will be continued. Furthermore, with due consideration to the project need, which is urgent and environmental impacts, which have been found to be minor, the Consultant feels that the project is feasible and that appropriate mitigation measures have been considered to further minimize impact on the environment.Item Environmental impact assessment for development of a new power house at G.Dh. Thinadhoo(2016-04) Abdul Wahhab, Mahfooz; Jaleel, Mohamed Ibrahim; Shareef, AliThe proposed project aims to provide sustainable electricity supply for G.Dh Thinadhoo by the development of a new powerhouse within the existing FENAKA premises. The project is essentially required because the existing powerhouse was burned down to the extent it can no longer be used due to an accidental fire. The new powerhouse will be constructed using pre-fabricated sheets and blocks. The generators in the temporary facility will be transferred to the new powerhouse and connected to the grid. The new powerhouse is essential as the noise and smoke disturbance from the generators is high. However with the development of new powerhouse it is expected that the noise and smoke disturbance will be reduced greatly. The negative impacts during the construction will be loss of vegetation and risk of groundwater contamination. During operation also there is risk of groundwater contamination. However with proper daily maintenance and following proper chemical handling procedures the risks can be minimized. The positive impacts from the project will be very high as Fenaka Corporation would be able to provide electricity sustainably to Thinadhoo.Item Environmental impact assessment for development of a new power house at G.Dh. Nadella(2016-04) Abdul Wahhab, Mahfooz; Jaleel, Mohamed Ibrahim; Shareef, AliThe proposed project aims to provide sustainable electricity supply for G.Dh Nadella by the development of a new powerhouse. The project is essentially required because the existing powerhouse is not in accordance with current standards and is in the middle of the residential area. The project involves the construction of a new powerhouse away from the residential area and the transfer of existing generators to new powerhouse. The relocation of powerhouse is essential as the noise and smoke disturbance from the generators to the community is high. However with the development of new powerhouse it is expected that the noise and smoke disturbance will be reduced greatly. The negative impacts during the construction will be loss of vegetation and risk of groundwater contamination. During operation also there is risk of groundwater contamination. However with proper daily maintenance and following proper chemical handling procedures the risks can be minimized. The positive impacts from the project will be very high as Fenaka Corporation would be able to provide electricity sustainably to Nadella with negligible disturbance to community.Item Environmental impact assessment for development of a new power house at B. Hithaadhoo(2016-04) Abdul Wahhab, Mahfooz; Jameel, Mohamed Ibrahim; Shareef, AliThe proposed project aims to provide sustainable electricity supply for B. Hithaadhoo by the development of a new powerhouse. The project is essentially required because the existing powerhouse is not in accordance with current standards and is in the middle of the residential area. The project involves the construction of a new powerhouse away from the residential area and the transfer of existing generators to new powerhouse. The relocation of powerhouse is essential as the noise and smoke disturbance from the generators to the community is high. However with the development of new powerhouse it is expected that the noise and smoke disturbance will be reduced greatly. The negative impacts during the construction will be loss of vegetation and risk of groundwater contamination. During operation also there is risk of groundwater contamination. However with proper daily maintenance and following proper chemical handling procedures the risks can be minimized. The positive impacts from the project will be very high as Fenaka Corporation would be able to provide electricity sustainably to Hithaadhoo with negligible disturbance to community.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed poultry farm development project at N. Ehdhufarumairah(2016-08) Water SolutionsThis report discusses the findings of a social and environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd. at the request of Ocean Quartier Properties Pvt Ltd. This EIA report covers layer chicken poultry farm development project at Ehdhufarumairah, Noonu Atoll. Ehdhufarumairah is located on the eastern side of Noonu Atoll. This island is leased to Ocean Quartier Properties Pvt Ltd by Ministry of Fisheries and Agriculture. Ocean Quartier Properties Pvt Ltd is the proponent of this project. Ocean Quartier Properties Pvt Ltd had acquired knowledge and information about commercial layer chicken poultry and officials of the company had travelled to Srilanka and Thailand and visited different layer chicken poultry farms projects to gain more experience and information on different poultry businesses which could be development in islands of Maldives. The project is proposed in Ehdhufarumairah. The vision is to establish layer chicken farm in Ehdhufarumairah which ensure commercial and environmental sustainability of producing chicken eggs locally. The main aim of this poultry farm project is to lessen import of chicken eggs to meet the local demand. Work is planned for sustainable layer chicken poultry farming ensuring the use of environment friendly technology. Under this project, sea cucumber feed materials will be made using the organic waste on the island and provide sea cucumber farms in the region. The proposed layer chicken poultry would be developed by importing layer type chicks from Srilanka from CP Farm, rearing chicken in the island in cages till it is old enough to lay eggs when they are 21 weeks olds. The poultry farm would be automated as to manage the feeding operations to the layer chickens, collection of eggs from the cage houses and removal of manure from the cages houses as waste material. The project will develop the necessary infrastructure in the area of power, water, sewage and wastewater to make the proposed poultry project sustainable. The project also involves developing accommodation and living areas for the researchers and famers on the island. The EIA was undertaken to assess the environmental and social impacts of this project. Based on the assessment, it has been identified that the major impacts of the project will be felt on the terrestrial environment during the construction stage. Ehdhufarumairah is not a large uninhabited island that could develop a large poultry farm. The development on the island will have impacts on marine environment from construction of jetty and outfalls. During the operational stage, environmental concerns are much less and are associated with energy, water, and waste and wastewater management. The mitigation measures are provided in the report with alternatives. It is vital to conduct the activities, during both construction and operational stage, in line with mitigation measures emphasized in the report. Socio-economic impacts of the proposed project will be creation of job opportunities in the atoll and development of the poultry industry in the country. This project will create enormous economic opportunities both in the construction and operational stage through creation of both short-term and permanent jobs and business opportunities especially for the locals at Velidhoo and Manadhoo. This project will introduce and promote the development of layer chicken poultry for the production chicken eggs on commercial scale enabling Maldives to provide additional avenue for employment and income generation. Towards the end of the report, a monitoring programme has been suggested which covers components of terrestrial, coastal and marine environment. It is important to follow this monitoring programme not only to comply with the regulation but also to ensure that the impacts are measures in realistic terms.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed MWSC customer service building development project(2016-10) SandcaysThis report discusses the findings of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) carried out for the proposed 10-storey customer service building of Male’ Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC). The project is proposed by the MWSC, the contract for construction phase has been awarded to Amin Construction. This project requires EIA as the building has a basement, under EIA regulations 2012 buildings with basement require EIA clearance. The main objective of the EIA is to identify potential impacts of excavation, construction of foundation and dewatering and consider mitigation measures that can be adopted. In addition, the EIA would also consider other construction phase and operational phase activities such as waste management, energy and water supply although they are not directly related to the scope of the EIA. The project is to commence as soon as the EIA is approved and the duration of the project is estimated to be completed by December 2017. Substructure works, which is considered to be the most sensitive component (socially and environmentally), is expected to be completed within two months. The critical elements of excavation and dewatering are expected to be completed within 80 days. Therefore, the project has a critical impact timeframe of less than 4 months. Currently MWSC does not have dedicated customer service centre, where all services can be attained from one stop. The proposed project ensures such a service base to the customers are provided, thus meeting this existing need of the company. This improved service also means that additional jobs will be created thus contributing positively to the economy. Looking at the existing environment of the site, the site is devoid of any significant flora or fauna. The traffic is considerably high in Ameenee Magu during peak office and school hours and majority of the structures within close radius of the site is structurally sound. The groundwater quality is not very saline when compared to some other parts of Male’. Almost all of the negative impacts envisioned for the project occurs during construction phase and as highlighted previously most of these impacts are associated with substructure works. However, almost all these impacts are minor and can be reduced to negligible levels with the mitigation measures proposed in this report. In this regard, the potential negative impacts associated with this project can be summarised as impacts related to groundwater quality and quantity, impacts on nearby buildings in terms of structural damage, impacts on air quality, impact on ambient noise, impacts on utility services, impacts on traffic and impacts on health and safety. Mitigation measures proposed for the project like minimizing dewatering to the shortest possible time, ensuring proper storage and transport of construction material and waste, restricting noisy activities to day time, undertaking works by experienced operators and supervisors, avoiding closure of roads during peak rush hours and implementing international best practice health and safety standards will help to reduce the influence of most of the envisioned impacts to negligible levels. The EIA report proposes a monitoring program that will help to identify the actual impacts and to identify the effectiveness of the implemented mitigation measures. In this regard monitoring will include, monitoring of groundwater quality, monitoring of dust and noise, visual assessment of nearby buildings and monitoring of traffic condition. The monitoring reports will be submitted to EPA every two months during construction phase and once thereafter to meet the requirements of the EIA regulations. The reports will be submitted in the format specified in the EIA regulations. Overall, this project is a positive project and the negative impacts envisioned are only for the construction phase and all these impacts can be easily mitigated.Item Environmental impact assessment for the proposed mixed residential building in plot no. D2-3, Hulhumale’ – Rainbow Oceanfront Residence(2016-12) Musthafa, AmirThis report is based on the proposed mixed residential building construction in Plot No. D2- 3, Hulhumale’. 12 storeys in the structure will be allocated for residential purposes. The project is being developed and constructed by Rainbow Construction Pvt. Ltd. They are to undertake the construction works and project management including overseeing the EIA process. An Environmental Impact Assessment was necessary for the works as per the requirements of the signed agreement between Rainbow and Housing Development Corporation (HDC), and due to the fact that the structure exceeds 11 storeys as specified in the EIA regulation ‘Jadhuvalu R’ in the list of type of projects for which EIAs are required. In addition to meeting the regulatory requirements, the report would further assist the proponent and important stakeholders to make decisions based on favourable environmental conditions with the main focus on sustainability. The project also adheres to several other rules and regulations in the Maldives and has obtained permit from HDC to proceed. HDC is a 100% government entity being given the responsibility to set guidelines and oversee all developments in Hulhumale’. The project is part of larger program by HDC to establish mixed residential buildings in Hulhumale’. Apartments in these buildings can generally be regarded as being targeted towards middle to lower class members of the community. The project will contribute to the grand plan of reducing congestion in Male’ by providing more moderate to high quality housing opportunities in Hulhumale’. By 2019, it is projected that there will be over 1000 such housing units built in Hulhumale’. The existing environment at the project site does not consist of any significant vegetation and the water test result shows normal water quality. The only large vegetation that will still be removed are the roadside Fithuroanu gas. There are no residents living in close proximity to the site and there is no other structure at the site as well. Therefore, the project will not have any significant impact on a significant receptor. During the construction stage, health and safety standards of the workers at site, and waste generation is the only areas of concern. With proper planning and project management, this can be easily mitigated. Waste is the main concern during the operational stage of the project as well. Since this will be developed as a condominium with multiple tenants owning the rights of the building, it has to be ensured that the tenants are held responsible to properly manage the waste in addition to maintaining the building beyond the 2 years the developer is contractually responsible for. Regarding alternatives, there are no viable alternatives available for the project with respect to location. The no project option is also not plausible at this stage and possibilities are outside the scope of this study. Other alternatives including material, foundation type, construction methodology are not necessarily recommended. Recommendations had been made to proceed with the project as planned.An environmental monitoring plan is proposed to be carried out with 2 phases; one for the construction stage, and one for 2 years post construction. Factors to investigate include surveying the amount of waste generation, noise pollution, traffic flow, health and safety at site and water quality. All the impacts as highlighted in the project can be mitigated. The socio-economic benefits to Greater Male’ City from projects such as these is high. It also provides additional housing opportunities, which would contribute to alleviating the housing issues in Male’ City, and therefore mitigating the issues related to congestion. Thus, after consideration of all these perspectives, it is recommended that this project proceed as planned, after incorporating the mitigation measures given in this study with the commitment to implementing the monitoring plan given.Item Addendum to environmental impact assessment for the Male’ west coast re-development project(2016-01) Musthafa, AmirThis is the First Addendum to the approved main EIA prepared for the redevelopment of the Male’ west coast area. The main EIA was approved on 10th September 2015. The proponent of the project is Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure. This addendum is based on the proposed transplantation of 70 young coconut palms from K. Kaashidhoo to the on going Male’ West Coast Development project. It is a legal requirement under the Amended EIA Regulation 2012 that EIAs/Addendums be prepared and approved for projects that may generate negative environmental impacts. This Addendum has been prepared as per the approved Terms of Reference (TOR) on 7 December 2015. The scope of this EIA involves studying the existing environmental condition of the proposed project areas and surrounding environment, identifying potential environmental impacts, propose environmental management and mitigation measures to minimize environmental impacts and propose an environmental monitoring plan. The palms are to be uprooted from the site for the proposed construction of jail and from households. This site for jail construction is at the western end of the island and is under the Jurisdiction of Maldives Correctional Services. It is envisaged that the project will have several socio-economic benefits. This includes providing a means of shelter and relaxation to the community in Male’ City, especially in the Maafannu district. Moreover, it would assist in alleviating the burden these large no. of trees had been causing the community in K. Kaashidhoo. From this perspective, the project can be regarded as means to balance the amenities in both communities. The economic benefits to the coconut tree owners from the sale of the coconut palms could also be considered as a direct positive impact. Furthermore, the Kaashidhoo council had committed to plant 2 trees for each palm that has been removed in more strategic locations in the island, where tree plantation is required. Negative impacts include the holes that would be left after the digging. It may become a public nuisance, although the area is seldom used by the community. As a mitigation measure, the holes would be filled with sand available onsite, without the need for dredging. Provisions such as monitoring are proposed to understand the overall impacts of the project over the long term. Therefore, considering the beneficial nature of the project for both communities, and minimum environmental impact that can be easily mitigated, it is proposed to proceed with the project. However, it is recommended to have proper monitoring in place to observe any future impacts that project may result in.Item First addendum to the environment impact assessment prepared for the proposed Hulhule’-Male’ bridge project(2016-01) CDE ConsultingThe purpose of this document is to assess the potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures for the proposed changes to the Hulhulé-Malé Bridge project. This document is an addendum to the original Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) prepared for the Bridge project in November 2015. The proponent of this project is Ministry of Housing and Infrastructure. The main changes to the project includes expansion of the work site in Malé, and the addition two concrete batching to the project work site in Malé. The main rationale for these changes is to speed up the project, and to reduce the project costs. The study area for the purpose of the addendum is the project work site in Male’ and Hulhumale’. The baseline conditions of the site are largely based on the original EIA documents. Additional information on major changes to the environment is provided where appropriate. The proposed developments are generally in conformance to the laws and regulations of the Maldives. The key impacts from the proposed changes are due to site clearance of Male’ worksite and operation of batching plants at Male’ worksite. The clearance of the proposed expanded work site requires removal of hundreds of trees. Trees will be relocated where possible. Impacts from the operation of the batching plants include high noise levels, loss of visual amenity and specific impacts related to the wastewater disposal. Significant impacts on the natural environment include impacts on terrestrial ecology from the site clearance of the expanded worksite. Hundreds of trees may potentially need to be removed or relocated. Further impacts on natural environment include impacts on marine ecology due to disposal of wastewater from the batching plants. Social impacts from the additional components include high noise levels from the operation of batching plants and loss of visual amenity. A number of mitigation measures are proposed for the most significant impacts from the project. These include testing and monitoring of wastewater quality before disposal, limiting hours of batching plants operation to daytime and use of fences or walls to prevent transmission of dusts. Alternatives have been proposed for wastewater disposal methods, waste water dispose location, location of the batching plants and alternative location for Male’ worksite. Options for wastewater disposal methods include direct disposal of wastewater via the existing sewerage network, direct disposal into sea, and reuse of wastewater after passing through a settling tank and after treatment. The last option is identified as the most ecologically preferred option, however, the option may not be feasible due to significantly high cost. This report is prepared in accordance to the technical guidelines and EIA regulations, prepared by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the terms of reference issued by the EPA for this EIA addendum.Item First environmental impact assessment addendum for the proposed reclamation of Himmafushi, Kaafu Atoll, Maldives : change of borrow area(2016-06) Musthafa, AmirThis report is the Addendum to the EIA undertaken for the Proposed Reclamation of K. Himmafushi, 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. Potential borrow areas in Kaafu Atoll was originally investigated and subsequently Ari Atoll area was also studied. The dredging location chosen is about 10 km west of the proposed borrow area 1, area 2, 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 relatively closer to some resort islands and sensitive areas than the originally proposed areas. However, the dredging location is still over 500m away from any location of importance. Dredging activities will no doubt increase sedimentation impacts in the area, although lasting impacts are not envisaged. Bait fishing in the vicinity of the borrow area will have an impact for the duration of the project. 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 “Havza Thila” a popular diving spot. Important new stakeholders for the project include Atoll council, AA. Ukulhas council, AA. Mathiveri council and AA. Bodufulhadhoo council in addition to resort islands. The main reservations by the stakeholders is the fact that sand is borrowed from Ari Atoll for a reclamation in Kaafu atoll. All the stakeholders expressed their disapproval at this. Moreover, they expressed their concerns on the impact of dredging works on the fisheries and tourism of the Atoll. AA. Bodufulhadhoo council especially did note that the shallow reef North of the borrow area was used for bait fishing, and fishermen from Mathiveri and Bodufulhadhoo use the general area and channel for fishing. The stakeholders were informed of the previous islands reclaimed under the same project and how the impacts were minimal. Addendum to the EIA for the Reclamation of K. Himmafushi Alternative borrow area options are not viable as the sand search campaign concluded that there are no other significant sand depots within either North Male’ Atoll or North Ari Atoll. Alternative areas are those that have already been excluded. The only other viable alternative is to source sand from even further away, which was not feasible at all. 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 as detailed in the initial EIA, 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 Himmafushi to obtain sand, there is no viable reason to postpone or cancel the project due to this change. However, mitigation measures should be in place and continuous monitoring should be undertaken.