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Feasibility Study for the Resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory

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Feasibility Study for the Resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory Feasibility study for the resettlement of the British Indian Ocean Territory Volume II: Annexes 31st January 2015 J Contents Ref. Annex Page 3.1 Environmental data set from BIOT field visit 3 3.2 Environmental questionnaire 16 3.3 Environmental Questionnaire results 31 4.1 BIOT environmental conventions 44 5.1 Changes in Coral Cover with Depth on Ocean Facing Slopes in Chagos 46 5.2 Environmental parameters for monitoring 47 5.3 Environmental monitoring costs 50 5.4 Environmental criteria for Maldives 51 5.5 Environmental concerns in the Maldives 53 5.6 Island environment factors 54 6.1 US Military Construction 55 6.2 Asset Maintenance 66 6.3 Airports & Runways 70 6.4 Ports, Harbours & Maritime Structures 81 6.5 Building Costs 90 6.6 Energy & Electricity 98 7.1 Fisheries 108 7.2 Tourism 135 7.3 Coconuts 164 7.4 Resettlement Options 181 Currency Equivalents Currency Unit = Sterling Pound (£) Exchange Rates (1 October 2014)1 £ 1 = US$ 1.6203 £ 1 = € 1.2866 Fiscal Year 1 April – 31 March Abbreviations and Acronyms APCC Asian and Pacific Coconut Community BIOT British Indian Ocean Territory BIOTA BIOT Administration BMFC British/Mauritius Fisheries Commission BSFC British/Seychelles Fisheries Commission CB Capacity Building CCT Chagos Conservation Trust CDA Coconut Development Authority (Sri Lanka) CPI Consumer Price Index DFID Department for International Development EC European Commission ECCB East Caribbean Central Bank EDF European Development Fund EEZ Economic Exclusion Zone EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EIB European Investment Bank EPPZ Environment Protection and Preservation Zone EU European Union FAO Food and Agriculture Organisation FCMZ Fisheries Conservation and Management Zone FCNO Filtered Coconut Oil FCO Foreign and Commonwealth Office FIRR Financial Internal Rate of Return FPO Fisheries Protection Officer FPV Fisheries Protection Vessel GDP Gross Domestic Product GRT Gross Register Tonnage GST Goods and Services Tax HR Human Resources IATA International Air Transport Association ICAO International Civil Aviation Organisation ICCPR International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights 1 Source: Bank of England. 1 Abbreviations and Acronyms IOTC Indian Ocean Tuna Commission IPCC International Panel on Climate Change IUU Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated KPI Key Performance Indicator MCS Monitoring, Control and Surveillance MDG Millennium Development Goal M&E Monitoring & Evaluation MIS Management Information System MPA Marine Protected Area MRAG Marine Resources Assessment Group Limited MSC Marine Stewardship Certificate MWR Morale, Welfare and Recreation NGO Non-Governmental Organisation NM Nautical Mile NSFDG US Naval Support Facility Diego Garcia NTA/NTZ No Take Area/No Take Zone O&M Operations and Maintenance OT Overseas Territory OTD Overseas Territories Department OTEP Overseas Territories Environment Programme P.B Peros Banhos PIDG Private Infrastructure Development Group PIO Pitcairn Island Office PM Pacific Marlin RIB Rigid-hulled Inflatable Boat RM Royal Marines ROPO Royal Overseas Police Officer SFPO Senior Fisheries Protection Officer SIDS Small Island Developing States SWOT Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats TCI Turks and Caicos Islands TdC Tristan da Cunha TEFU Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union TOR Terms of Reference UK United Kingdom UN United Nations UNCLOS United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea UNEP United Nations Environment Programme USAF United States Air Force VAT Value Added Tax WHO World Health Organisation WTO World Tourism Organisation WTTC World Travel and Tourism Council 2 3.1 Environmental data set from BIOT field visit 4a,b,c. Three Brothers 1. Sudest 2. Sipaille 3. Eagle (Great (Middle visited) (+N&S) 5. Ile du Coin 6. Ile Pierre 7. Ile Diamant ITEM/Island (Egmont Atoll) (Egmont Atoll) Chagos Bank) (Gt Chagos Bank) (Peros Banhos) (P.B.) (P.B) Day/Date Thurs Thurs Thurs Fri Fri Sat Sat 15.05.14 15.05.14 15.05.14 16.05.14 16.05.14 17.05.14 17.05.14 Latitude (S) & 6o40’ x 71o22’ 6o11’ x 5o20’ x 71o51’ Longitude (E) at 71o20’ central point Distance from 73nm 77nm 94.5nm 88nm 119nm 128nm 130nm DG (direct) Distance from 82nm 82nm (same 110nm 109nm 127.5nm 136.5nm 131nm DG anchorage as for Sudest) Surface Area 98.02 46.21 243.5 8.0 (6.0 N; 23.0 S) 127.5 150.0 88.5 (ha) 255.4 + 36.4 130.1 145.8 1 105.5 1 Max. Length 2.2 1.1 2.5 0.25 1.65 1.95 1.1 (nm) & (NW-SE) (N-S) (NE-SW) (Circular or Square) (WNW-ESE) (NNE-SSW) (NE-SW) orientation Approx. approximately 2.0- approximately 2- approximately 2.0-2.5 approximately 2.5-3.0m approximately 1.75- approximately approximately 1.75- observed Max. 2.5 3.5 (approximately 2m; (1.0-1.2 m; Sheppard, 2.0 1.75-2.0 2.0 Height (m) (less than 2 m; (less than 1 m; Sheppard, 2002)i 2002)i Sheppard, 2002)3 Sheppard, 2002)i 2 Klaus, (Unpublished) 3 Sheppard, 2002. 3 4a,b,c. Three Brothers 1. Sudest 2. Sipaille 3. Eagle (Great (Middle visited) (+N&S) 5. Ile du Coin 6. Ile Pierre 7. Ile Diamant ITEM/Island (Egmont Atoll) (Egmont Atoll) Chagos Bank) (Gt Chagos Bank) (Peros Banhos) (P.B.) (P.B) Prev. habitation No dwellings No dwellings Yes, on highest part No dwellings Yes, substantial No dwelling Yes, but transient & dwellings? seen – some seen/found. of island; 4-5 seen/none colony. ‘Main road’ seen/found. population, some remnants dilapidated layout; wells reported; no reported. habitation(s) seen. approximately 150 dwellings seen/found. Only vertical walls graves (many small survive. 3-4 buildings’ children); Manager’s ‘plinths’ seen. 3 house substantial, reported graves at roof now collapsed. shoreline – no Other buildings, headstones remain. large metal water Main graveyard tank, WC, wall approximately 80m separating inland. processing area Previous Unknown Unknown Previously inhabited; Unknown Previously inhabited: Unknown Previously inhabited; population & coconut/copra & coconut/copra & temporary livelihood subsistence/artisanal subsistence/artisanal coconut/copra fishing fishing plantation & subsistence/artisanal fishing? Anchorage 3km offshore; 3km offshore; East better 2.5nm; W 2.5nm, Great Chagos 1.5nm lagoon-side 0.5nm lagoon-side 0.5nm lagoon-side narrow ledge only narrow ledge only less than 300m Bank (approximately 30m depth), small ships only. Sea depth greater than 100- greater than 100- greater than 100- greater than 100-2000+ greater than 100- greater than 100- greater than 100- beyond reef (m) 2000+ 2000+ 2000+ 2000+ 2000+ 2000+ Atoll area (km2) 40 (Egmont) 18,000 (Gt. Chagos Bank) 463 (Peros Banhos) % atoll rim 35 (Egmont) 35 (Egmont) less than 5 (Gt. less than 5 (Gt. Chagos 65 (Peros Banhos) enclosed by Chagos Bank) Bank) islands & reef Channel cut in reef on flats NW side – dangerous entry 4 4a,b,c. Three Brothers 1. Sudest 2. Sipaille 3. Eagle (Great (Middle visited) (+N&S) 5. Ile du Coin 6. Ile Pierre 7. Ile Diamant ITEM/Island (Egmont Atoll) (Egmont Atoll) Chagos Bank) (Gt Chagos Bank) (Peros Banhos) (P.B.) (P.B) Approach & 1 3 3 1 2 2 2 ease of access 1 = Relatively Lagoon-side; Lagoon-side; 5. Ocean-side Oct- 1.Middle Island – 1. OK at High Tide – 1.Lagoon-side Lagoon-side (SE easy to get limited reef; easy more reef & May always accessible (but Lagoon-side; Beach access at corner only). small craft near at High Tide; OK outcrops – harder big surf on approach); Disused jetty – High Tide – but 1.High Tide shore. at Low Tide. landing than 2. Oct-May Lagoon- unusable. Former only across E 3.Low Tide (small 5 = Extremely Sudest. side 3.South – weather – ‘railway’ tracks corner. channel; many reefs; difficult visible. Long walk/wade dependent; wading, access quite at Low Tide. 4. Other months – 3. Low Tide more tricky) SW winds create 5. North – cliffs & surf 4. Low Tide – difficult – long hazard severe. swim/wade wade/walk required. (awkward – shallow, many Lagoon-side; wade & Lagoon-side; reefs) swim required at high Substantial dead reef to tide cross to get ashore on middle island. N & S islands v difficult access (attempt abandoned on safety grounds); N island up to 5m limestone cliffs & 2.5m waves onshore in relatively modest winds Jetty need & Essential Essential Essential Essential Essential Essential Essential issues approximately 5m approximately 5m approximately 5m approximately 5m deep approximately 5m approximately 5m approximately 5m deep water @ 300 deep water @ 300 deep water @ 50 m water @ 3 m from deep water @ 180 m deep water @ 120 deep water @ 60m m from shore m from shore from shore shore (ship cannot from shore m from shore (N), 120m (S), from anchor – coral blasting shore required); Coral reef outcrops suddenly upthrusting en-route to shore Rainfall mm/yr (Chagos range 2,500 mm/yr in S. atoll, 4,000 mm/yr in N atolls) 3,999 (Peros Banhos atoll) 5 4a,b,c. Three Brothers 1. Sudest 2. Sipaille 3. Eagle (Great (Middle visited) (+N&S) 5. Ile du Coin 6. Ile Pierre 7. Ile Diamant ITEM/Island (Egmont Atoll) (Egmont Atoll) Chagos Bank) (Gt Chagos Bank) (Peros Banhos) (P.B.) (P.B) Shoreline: sand 10-30; Classic 10-30; Approximately 2.0- Approximately 2.0-3.0; Approximately 2.0- Approximately Approximately 3.0- width (m) heaped sandy NB v narrow 3.0; Outcropping upthrust 5.0; Typical coral 2.0-5.0; 5.0; Coconut & Description coral lip and then Island Range of rounded island with ‘domed’ atoll x-section but Coconut & Scaevola lower inland approximately coral boulders. inland cross-section – some elevated area; Scaevola saucer; 300m across. Elevated eroded sea- with pitting – small Coconut & Scaevola impenetrable Relatively wall foundations depressions. mostly coconut & impenetrable falling into sea. Coconut & Scaevola some fringe fringe coconut & Coconut & Scaevola Scaevola Scaevola Inland Impenetrable Younger Mixed mature Less dense Coconut, some Some old Fallen coconuts soft, vegetation & without machete, vegetation; vegetation; v little undergrowth; lack of citrus, thinner plantation trees rotten inside (only ease of access mostly extreme smaller trees & ‘undergrowth’ Much young shoots – being undergrowth, Diamont); moderately proliferation of evidence of of island cleared – eaten Scaevola & relatively easily dense vegetation coconut; regular inundation easier access to heliotrope/hardwood penetrated inside; Pisonia.
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