ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
For the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi Island, Raa Atoll, Maldives
Photo: Water Solutions Pvt.Ltd; June 2014
Proposed by Male' Water and Sewerage Company Pvt. Ltd (MWSC)
Prepared by Abdul Aleem, For Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Maldives
November 2014
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Page 2
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
1 Table of Contents 1 Table of Contents 3
2 Declaration of the consultants 7
3 Proponents commitment 9
4 Non Technical Summary 13
5 Introduction 15
5.1 STRUCTURE OF THE EIA 15
5.2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE EIA 15
5.3 EIA IMPLEMENTATION 16
5.4 TERMS OF REFERENCE 16
6 Applicable Environmental Legislations 17
7 Project Description 19
7.1 PROJECT PROPONENT 19
7.2 PROJECT LOCATION AND STUDY AREA 19
7.3 NEED AND JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PROJECT 20
7.4 PROJECT ACTIVITIES 21
7.4.1 Scope of work 21
7.4.2 Site Preparation 22
7.4.3 Mobilization 22
7.4.4 Excavation 22
7.5 PROJECT DESIGN DETAILS 23
7.5.1 House hold connections 23
7.5.2 Pump stations 23
7.5.3 Treatment of wastewater 24
7.5.4 Technology 24
7.5.5 Design period 25
Page 3
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
7.5.6 Flow rates 25
7.5.7 Sewerage network design 26
7.6 PROJECT MANAGEMENT 27
7.7 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEWAGE DISPOSAL PROCESS 27
7.7.1 Technical details 27
7.8 PROJECT DURATION 29
7.9 PROJECT INPUTS AND OUTPUTS 30
7.9.1 Project Inputs 30
7.9.2 Project Outputs 31
8 Methodology 32
9 Existing Environment of Maldives 33
9.1 EXISTING GENERAL ENVIRONMENT OF MALDIVES 33
9.2 EXISTING MARINE ENVIRONMENT 33
9.3 METHODOLOGY OF MARINE SURVEYS 33
9.4 CORAL REEF 35
9.5 STATUS OF CORAL REEF AT SITE 1(M1) 35
9.6 STATUS OF CORAL REEF AT SITE 2(M2) 36
9.7 STATUS OF CORAL REEF AT SITE 3(M3) 38
9.8 STATUS OF FISH ABUNDANCE 39
9.9 MARINE WATER QUALITY AND BATHYMETRY 40
9.9.1 Prevailing currents around the sea outfall location ...... 40
9.10 EXISTING TERRESTRIAL ENVIRONMENT 42
9.10.1 Section Brief 42
9.10.2 Ground water 42
9.10.3 Availability of freshwater and sustainable yield ...... 44
9.11 EXISTING SOCIO-ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT 46
Page 4
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
9.11.1 Introduction to the atoll 46
9.11.2 Alifushi island 48
9.11.3 Economic Activities 49
9.11.4 Electricity 49
9.11.5 Health 49
9.11.6 Water and Sanitation 49
10 Environmental Impacts 50
10.1 ASSESSING AND IDENTIFICATION OF IMPACT 50
10.2 IMPACT IDENTIFICATION MATRIX 50
10.3 MAGNITUDE OF IMPACTS 52
10.4 UNCERTAINTIES IN IMPACT PREDICTION 52
10.5 IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 55
10.6 IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND THEIR MITIGATION MEASURES ...... 67
11 Stakeholder Consultations 69
11.1 ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AGENCY- EPA 69
11.2 DISCUSSIONS WITH THE CLIENT 70
11.3 CONSULTATION WITH THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT ...... 71
11.4 CONSULTATION WITH THE ISLAND COUNCIL 71
12 Alternatives 72
12.1 NO PROJECT OPTION 72
12.2 ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS MATRIX 73
12.3 ALTERNATIVE SITES / LOCATION FOR SEAWATER OUTFALL ...... 74
12.4 ALTERNATIVE SEWERAGE SYSTEMS 74
12.4.1 Deep bore disposal 74
12.4.2 Septic tanks 76
12.4.3 Gravity flow systems without septic tanks ...... 76
Page 5
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
12.4.4 Vacuum sewers 76
12.4.5 Grey water separation system 76
12.5 PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE 77
12.5.1 Secondary Treatment and Effluent Reuse ...... 77
12.5.2 Mitigation Measures for the Preferred Alternative ...... 77
13 Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan 78
13.1 INTRODUCTION 78
13.2 COST OF MONITORING 78
13.3 DURATION OF MONITORING 78
13.4 METHODS OF MONITORING 78
13.5 MONITORING RESPONSIBILITY 78
13.6 MONITORING REPORT 78
14 Conclusion 83
15 Recommendations 85
16 Acknowledgements 87
17 Reference Books and Sources 88
18 Annex: Terms of reference Error! Bookmark not defined.
19 Annex: Pump station location. 90
20 Annex: Laboratory results for the bacteriological quality of groundwater ...... 92
21 Annex: Initial survey report and details of community consultationsError! Bookmark not defined.
22 Annex: CV’s of unregistered consultants 91
23 Annex: Methodologies used 92
24 Annex: Policy and legal framework 93
Page 6
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
2 Declaration of the consultants
This EIA has been prepared according to the EIA Regulations 2012, issued by the Ministry of Housing and Environment. The EIA was carried out by a multidisciplinary consulting team representing Water Solutions Private Ltd. In preparing this report, no data has been manipulated. All data has been collected by field visits.
I as the lead consultant certify that the statements in this Environmental Impact Assessment study are true, complete and correct.
Name: Abdul Aleem ( EIA 09/07 )
Signature:
Page 7
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Page 8
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
3 Proponents commitment
Page 9
MALE' WATER & SEWERAGE COMPANY PVT. LTD.
o ~ D ~ ". (J e Q,. t:J c".<."''' D a ~ ""t:' "~ ~e.;>; e.p.A~...1. ./"'...1...7'" l!~.P-- ~.A ~t!!.P »:» ""'." .; ~
28th October 2014
Mr. Ibrahim Naeem Director General Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Male,
Dear Sir,
Sub: EIA For the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in AJifusbi Island, Raa Atoll, Maldives
As the proponent of the project, we guarantee that we have read the report and to the best of our knowledge all non-technical information provided here are accurate and complete. Also we confirm our commitment to implement all post construction and mitigation program as specified in the report.
Kind regards
Yours Sincerely ~V'AM~ A~ed M~jttiJ Engineering
Fen Building, 5/F, Ameenee Magu, Machchangolhi, Male' 20375, Republic of Maldives Tel: (+960)3323209 Fax: (+960)3324306 E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.mwsc.com.mv EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Page 10
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll c
ާސާލުޙ ާދާސ
ެގ ީދެޕްމޮކ ްޖޭރަވުސ ްޑްދެއ ރަޓޯވ ޭލާމ ީކަޓޯޕިރިމ
ިއަގ ީފުފިލައ ުޅޮތައ .ރ ީކަޓރޯޕިރިމ .ެވެކެޓރޯޕިރ ާވިއަފިވެރުކުރާޔްއަތ ްފަކަމުތަގިއަޑަވިދެއ
ާހިކ ްފަޓްއެވާމިތ ްދުބަބަސެގ ުއޫރްޝަމ ާވިއަފިވޭރ ްދަގްދިހ ްފަމުރުކުމިއާގ ްއެމާޒިދ ެގާމަދުރަދ
ާވިއަފިވެރުކުރާޔްއަަތ ްދިއ ްދަޝުއިލޮސ ރަޓޯވ ްދުތޮގ ެގުމުލެބ ޯތްއެމަކެދާރުކްއެރަސައ
.ެވެކެޓރޯޕިރ
ިއަގުފަރިމ .ެވެކެފަރ ަދްދޮއ ްއެއ ީދާބާއ ެގ ްދުހީމ 1362 ްފަކަޑދަގްތާގ ީކައ ޫދީމ.ރ
ެގުމިބ ެގުފަރ ްދުބަބަސ ެގުމަކިމ .ެވެއަފިވެރުކުދ ުމިއާގ ީދަވ ްއެއްމާޒިދ ެގާމަދުރަދ ްފަދަތާހިމ
ީދަވ ްދުވުދ ްސަވ ިއަބުދ ްދުދެފ ްދުބަބަސެގީމ .ެވެއަފެވުރަޔްއަޢަތްފަޑޮބ ްފަރަވ ީދަވ ްދެފ
ިހެޗްއެއ ިދަކެއަމަހ ުރާހިމ ީކަދެފުޅަވ ެގުފަރ .ެވެއަފެވ ްފަކައަލަސްއަމ ީޙްއިސ ުޑޮބ ްފަރަވ
ީދަރުކްދުދޭބ ުކަޔަބަދިގ ްފަރަވްދެފ ްސެވަމަދ .ެވެދެފ ާރުކްދުދޭބ ްދަރަވްދެފ ިދައ ްދަދްދޮދ
.ެވެދްދެގިތެދ ްއެތޮގ ްދެހެއ
ްއަތުޑދަގުޅަވ ާދްދިހ ްދެފްސިޖަދ ިރުހ ުރާހިމ ީދަވިއަފިދެމިހ ްދުތޮގިމ ިއަގުއޫރްޝަމިމ
ިވެރުކްއެއ ްދުކަމާޒިދ ެގާމަދުރަދ ްދެފ ާވުރޭބ ްދުކަތްތާރާމިއ ާދްދިއެގ ޭގ ާހިރުހ ިދައ ިވެލާވުއ
ާދީސ ިއަގުލަދަބ ެގުޅަވްސިޖަދ ާރުކްދުދޭބ ުރާހިމ ިއަގޭގޭގ .ެވެމުރުކުރޭބ ެދުރަފ ެގުފަރ ިދައ
ްޕްދަޕ ޭދެހ ިއަގުކަތ ުދްއަހަރަސ ިކެއ ެގުފަރ ުހަފްފައެއ .ެވެއެދޭވެރުކުރޭބ ްސިޖަދ ްފައާމަދުރަދ
.ެވެފަރޭބ ްދުރަފ ެގުފަރ ީދޭވެރުކުރޭބ ްދެފްސިޖަދ ްދުދަތެއ ިވެރުކާމަޖ ްފަކަތްދަޝޭޓްސ
ެގޫރްޝަމ ިމ ްދުކަތާސާރިދ ުދުދެހ ިދައ ްދުކަތްއަތްދަކ ިލެބ ްފޮކްތަޔާއިރ ްފަމަކްދަކިމ
ެބ ްފަކަތ ާސާރިދ ުދުވެރުކ .ެވެއަފިވެދަގެދެދ ީދަވ ުރަސައ ެދާރުކ ްފަޓްއެވާމިތ ްދުބަބަސ
ްފަކަމަކެދޭބިލ ްއެކަތ ްދުލްއެގ ެގުރަވާވުޑޮބްދަކ ްފަޓްއެވާމިތ ްދުބަބަސ ެގ ްޓެޖޮރްޕ ިމ ުހަފްފަމުލ
Page 11
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
ަދިގާމ ާވްދުލްއެގ ްފަޓްއެވާމިތ ުރިއާދްދެގ ްފައިރުކ ްޓްކެޖޮރްޕ ިމ ީކަބަބަސ .ެވެއެދެފުދ
ިމ ްސެވ ީކަކަތްއަތްދަކ ަލަހަކ ްދުޑދެކްސަގ ްދުފަރ .ެވެއީތޭދެމިހުދ ްއެކަތްއަތްދަކ
ްފަކަރަވ ްސެވެމްދޮކ ުރިއަދްދޮކ ްދަޅައ ްދިއަލިޅޮހ ްސެވަމަދ .ެވެކެމަކ ޭދެމިހުދ ިއަގްޓްކެޖޮރްޕ
ެދާގދިހ ިއަގްއެތަދްއުމ ުރުކ ްފަރަވ ްދުތަބްސިދ ީއިމ ްސެވަމަދ .ެވެއެދޭދެމިހ ްދުރުކ ރަޓޯވީޑ
ްފަރަފ ުރިއާރުކްތަކްތަސަމ ެގުމުޅެއ ިޅޮހ ިއަމ ާރުކުރޭބ ްދެފ ްސިޖަދ ްދުރުތިއ ެގީމ .ެވެކަތްދަކ
.ެވެކެމަކާވްދެގީފަކެއ ީކަމުބިލ ްއެކަތ ްދުލްއެގ ެގްއެރަވ ްސެވެމްދޮކ
ިއަގްޓރޯޕިރ ްސެވްދަކެދާރުކ ްއެކަތާދިއަފ ްއަތެއ ްދުބަބަސ ެގ ުޢޫރްޝަމ ިމ
ްފަދްދުތަޔްއަރ ުރަސައ ެގޭއ ިއަފެވަދިގުދަހުދ ްއަތާދިއަފޭބިލ ްދުތޮގިމ .ެވެއެދާވިއަފިވެރުކަގަހާފ
ްދުމުލެބިލެބ ްފޮކާސާރިދ ިމ .ެވެދޫދ ްއެމަކްތޮއ ްސެވްއެކްއަޝ ީމަކެދާރުކ ްފަޓްއެވާމިތ ިދައ
ެގްޓްކެޖޮރްޕ ިމ .ެވެއާދިއަފ ީދާރުކ ެރުވްފަމުލްއެގ ޭބިލ ްފަޓްއެވާމިތ ްދުބަބަސ ެގުއޫރްޝަމިމ
ިދައ ުމްދިހުމ ްފަރަވ ީކަމުއިދްދެގ ްފައިރުކ ުއޫރްޝަމިމ ްދުމަކެދާރުކ ްއެކަތާދިއަފ ްދުބަބަސ
.ެވެއެދެފ ްފަމަކްއެމަކުޅަގދަރ ެމްދެއ
Page 12
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
4 Non Technical Summary
This report discusses the findings of an environmental impact study undertaken by Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd in order to fulfill obligatory requirements of the National Environment Protection and Preservation Act, Law No. 4/93 for the proposed setup of the sewerage system (hereafter referred to as the project) in Alifushi island, Raa Atoll, Maldives.
The purpose of this EIA is to identify and minimize potential adverse environmental impacts related to this project and enhance the overall quality of the project. By examining the project location, the legal framework and the existing environmental components such as marine ecology and the socio-economic aspects, this EIA provides useful information regarding the extent, nature and the magnitude of impacts that are likely to occur. The EIA will also help to identify the long term socio-economic benefits to the community after implementing this project. It also provides a framework for future monitoring of the environment, so that changes can be monitored and corrective measures can be undertaken.
The proposed project aims to establish an island wide sewerage collection and disposal system. At present household wastewater is disposed on site by the use of septic tanks and this has contributed to the contamination of the groundwater to a state that it cannot be utilized. The project therefore involves the following components: a) Installation of an island wide sewage collection network.
b) Installation of new catch pits for each house / institution.
c) Construction of pump stations in strategic locations to collect and convey raw sewage from the households and to the final disposal station.
d) Construction of a sea outfall to discharge the sewage into deep sea.
The proposed project will ensure that the groundwater of the island does not get contaminated through improper sanitation systems. It will also ensure that the surrounding marine environment will improve in terms of environmental quality and will ensure pollution from sewage does not occur on the near shore environments.
The project is expected to bring several positive impacts on the environmental quality of the island and the surrounding reef. Particularly, the most significant benefit would be achieved through improvement in the bacteriological quality of the groundwater. The health benefits of the project are also worthy of noting as the improvement in water quality are going to bring significant health benefits to the
Page 13
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll community.
Various alternatives to the proposed system were also studied. One of the options identified include deep bore well disposal and gravity systems among others. Based on the assessment, these alternatives were assessed to identify their potential application in the island against the proposed system.
Environmental impacts and mitigation measures
Several environmental impacts of this proposed project have been examined through a number of processes. These include consultations with the project development team, field surveys, observations and assessment, and field experience gained from similar development projects implemented throughout the country. Potential positive and negative impacts on the environment have been considered. The assessment indicates environmental impacts both during the construction and operation stage. During the construction period, impacts are likely to occur on the marine and terrestrial environment (groundwater) as the proposed project does necessitate construction of an outfall but avoids large scale construction activities such as clearing trees. Most of the impacts during the construction period are impacts related to construction waste, dust emission, damage to the reef during sea outfall construction and noise. During the operational stage of this project, there will be both positive and negative impacts. Positive impacts include the improvement of the ground water quality of the island and also the quality improvement of the near shore environment. Negative impacts include the increased in extraction of groundwater for toilet flushing. This project does not foresee many negative impacts even during the construction stage and is geared towards improving the environmental quality of the island, most notably the environmental health.
The project does not pose serious threats to the marine or terrestrial environment and will directly benefit the environment and the community, both in the short and long term. Nevertheless, negative impacts with varying significance will occur as the project is implemented. Based on this assessment, it is advised to undertake this project.
Page 14
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
5 Introduction
This Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report has been prepared to fulfil the requirements of the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act, law no. 4/93 in order to assess the impacts of the proposed construction of a sewerage system in Alifushi island. The aim of this project is to ensure that the project is sustainably undertaken to address and manage the environmental issues.
5 . 1 Structure of the EIA
The report has been structured to meet the requirements of the EIA regulations 2012 issued by the Ministry of Housing and Environment. Hence, the report will provide an executive summary at the beginning. The report will then have a project description in detail, existing environmental conditions, justifications given by the proponent for undertaking the proposed project components and alternatives. Alternatives to proposed components or activities in terms of location, construction methods and technologies, design and environmental considerations would be suggested. A mitigation plan and monitoring programme before, during and after the works will be outlined at the end.
The major findings of this report are based on qualitative and quantitative assessments undertaken during site visit in June 2014 and through the use of available secondary data. However, due to unavailability of long term site-specific data, the impact assessment methodology has been restricted to field data collected, consultations, experience and professional judgment and field data taken on site. In addition, satellite and aerial photos have also been used to study the geography and environment where necessary.
5 . 2 Aims and Objectives of the EIA
The objective of the report is to: Promote informed and environmentally sound decision making. Report the existing situation of wastewater treatment and its shortcomings. To fulfill the obligations of the proponent to undertake an EIA under Clause 5 of the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act of the Maldives. Undertake the proposed project work with minimum damage to the environment. Ensure that all the environmental and social aspects of the project are addressed. Propose recommendations to the proponent
Page 15
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
5 . 3 EIA Implementation
This EIA has been prepared by a local environmental consulting firm, Water Solutions. Water Solutions have been chosen by the proponent as the environmental consultants for this project. The team members were: Abdul Aleem, BSc, MPH – Mapping and GIS (EIA-09/07) Ahmed Jameel, B. Eng (Environmental), MSc – Environmental (EIA-07/07) Faruhath Jameel, BSc, - Surveying science Ibrahim Faiz, - B. Environment Management
5 . 4 Terms of Reference
Terms of Reference for this assessment has been included in the Appendix of this report.
Page 16
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
6 Applicable Environmental Legislations
This section outlines the relevant environmental legislation pertaining to this project. The following table outlines a matrix of major environmental laws, guidelines, codes and standards, both local and international indicating the relevance to this project. Details of these regulations, what they cover and under what circumstances they apply are attached as an annex.
Name of legislation Area relevant to this project (yes/no)
Environmental protection and Generally covering the Yes preservation act Environment Maldives vision 2020 Multi-sectoral Sixth and seventh national Multi-sectoral Yes development plan Second national environment action Environment Yes plan (1999) National biodiversity strategy and Environment Yes action plan Ecologically, sensitive Yes Protected areas and sensitive areas areas, coral reefs, wetlands Waste management policy Environment Yes Environment Tourism act (law no. 2/99) Environment and tourism Ministry of Tourism regulations and related activities circulars Framework for environmental Environment Yes assessment Environmental impact assessment Environment Yes regulation 2007 Post EIA monitoring, auditing and Environment Yes evaluation Water and wastewater Yes Waste water quality guidelines Transportation Transport master plan Protected areas and environmentally Ecologically, sensitive Yes sensitive areas areas, coral reefs, wetlands Agriculture development master Agriculture Yes plan Terrestrial environment, No Regulation on cutting down, trees, sensitive and uprooting, digging out and export of protected trees trees Planning, environment No Guidelines for land use planning
Page 17
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Name of legislation Area relevant to this project (yes/no)
Planning, land use and Land law environment Water and wastewater Yes Guidelines for domestic wastewater disposal Guidelines for import, produce and Water sale of bottled water in the Maldives for human consumption General regulation for food Food security and safety establishment and services Regulations for installing and Water operating desalination plants in the Maldives General standard for bottled / Water packaged drinking waters (other than natural mineral water) codex stan 227-2001 General standard for the labelling of Water pre-packaged foods (codex stan 1 – 1985) Relevant international conventions, Environment treaties and protocols The Montreal protocol on substances that deplete the ozone layer United nations convention on Environment No biological diversity (uncbd) Marpol convention Environment, Water Dewatering regulation Water Yes. (If dewatering is carried out for any industrial purposes in any of the islands in Maldives, it shall be done by gaining a written approval from the enforcing agency)
Page 18
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
7 Project Description 7 . 1 Project proponent
This project is proposed by Male’ Water and Sewerage Company Pvt. Ltd (MWSC) The company has been established in the year 1995 with the purpose of solving the growing water needs in Malé. The principle objective of the company was to design, develop, operate, manage and maintain the public water, wastewater collection and disposal system in Malé. MWSC has attained achievements including International awards for its success in operations and sharing its knowledge and business practice with regional utility companies. MWSC became an ISO 9001 certified Company in July 2006 on the basis of its good management of business. The Company’s record for limiting the amount of water wasted to less than 3% is far ahead of other countries in the region.
MWSC has gained significant amount of knowledge and experience in designing, constructing, managing and operating water and wastewater related facilities during the past 15 years of its existence. Today, the MWSC team serves approximately 150,000 people in Malé, Villingili, Hulhumalé, Thilafushi, Thinadhoo and Maafushi.
MWSC was awarded the project to construct, install and operate the sewerage system for one year. Ministry of Environment awarded the project to MWSC and has conditioned to operate the system for 1 year after completion, after which the system will be handed to the Island Council.
7 . 2 Project Location and Study Area
The project takes place in the island of Alifushi in Raa Atoll. Alifushi is located in North Maalhosmadulu Atoll. The island of Alifushi is located on the outside of northern side of Raa Atoll on an isolated reef system from other islands of the atoll. Its geographic coordinates are approximately 5°58'00.87"N and 72°57'11.90"E. Raa atoll is 71 km in length from N to S, and 26 km across at its broadest part. Raa Atoll has total of 88 islands of which 15 are inhabited.
The closest inhabited island to Alifushi is Vaadhoo at the approximate distance of 12.54 km south. Nearest island to Alifushi is Ehthigili which is uninhabited and is located within the same lagoon system of Alifushi at a distance of approximately 1.5 km.
Page 19
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
There is an RO plant and an old water distribution network at the island. The RO Plant is currently not in running condition. Currently there are no proper sewerage systems in the island. Households use septic tanks built within their house territory to dispose sewage.
Figure 1: Location of Alifushi island in Raa Atoll
7 . 3 Need and Justification for the project
Sewage treatment is as important as clean water supply because poor sanitation is the cause of water contamination. Improper sewage disposal will spread water related diseases to the human environment. Proper sewage disposal mechanisms have two main roles; to protect public health and to protect environment. In addition to this, below are several other socio-economic benefits of proper sewage and wastewater disposal. Protection of the groundwater aquifer, which is the main source of water for the communities. This in turn helps in reducing morbidity and mortality due to water-borne diseases. Health benefits due to improvements in environmental health Protection of groundwater means that the community can rely on a safe
Page 20
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
source of water for basic needs other than potable use.
Therefore, appropriate sewage disposal has always been a high priority for the islands of Maldives. Islands of Maldives have very vulnerable groundwater with only 1 to 2.5 meters of earth protecting it. Because of this and use of improper sewage and waste disposal mechanisms, groundwater is contaminated in many islands of Maldives.
Site investigation of Alifushi Island revealed that the island is almost flat, and ground water is contaminated and smelly. Housing is clustered in to blocks which have taken up almost the entire island’s available landmass. Most households have a septic tank or a pit to which all human waste is disposed.
Proper sewage collection and disposal has now become a key basic requirement for all inhabited islands as human development is significantly impacted without this basic facility.
7 . 4 P r o j e c t Activities 7 . 4 . 1 Scope of work
A gravity sewer system is proposed for Alifushi island. The gravity sewerage network is divided into three zones that are served by a pump station for each zone. Sewage from households will flow to the respective pump station through gravity which will then pass the sewage to the final pump station from which the outfall will be connected. It is from here that sewage will be pumped to the sea. This will ensure that the wastewater disposal takes place in the deep sea where proper dilution will take place. The three pumping stations will be constructed in the Island for collection of sewage which is integrated by pumping mains..
The project involves the following components: a) Installation of an island wide sewage collection network.
b) Installation of new catch pits for each house / institution.
c) Construction of pump stations in strategic locations to collect and convey raw sewage to the final disposal station.
d) Construction of a sea outfall.
The following figure outlines the schematics of the sewerage system.
Page 21
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Figure 2: Schematics of the sewerage system
7 . 4 . 2 Site Preparation
Site preparation for the construction of the pump stations will be done before any construction work starts. All the plants found within the proposed pump station areas will be removed before any construction works. However, there are no significant large trees in any proposed pump station areas. Most of the pump station locations are filled with grass and bushes. This will be cleared before works with pump stations begin.
7 . 4 . 3 Mobilization
Transportation of construction machineries and equipment will take place once the EIA is approved from the EPA. Site mobilizations and construction related activities will be undertaken within the planned manner. Standard building materials used for this kind of projects will be used.
7 . 4 . 4 E x c a v a t i o n
For pipe installation, connections and pump stations, large amount of excavation is required. Earth will be excavated to a maximum depth of 1.5m. Sand removed from this process will be utilized for levelling the excavated areas. Excavation process is not expected to be reaching the level of dewatering.
Page 22
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
7 . 5 P r o j e c t Design Details 7 . 5 . 1 House hold connections
The first element and perhaps a very basic component of this project is at the household level. Individual households will have private toilets that are pour flush or fitted with automatic flush tanks to carry the wastewater in to the system. This is the point where the wastewater disposal process begins and therefore forms an important aspect of the disposal cycle. Wastewater will flow by gravity to catch pits located inside each house plots. These catch pits will be constructed as part of the project.
7 . 5 . 2 Pump stations
There are three (3) pump stations (PS) allocated as shown in the following figure. The sewer network has been designed to carry the sewage under gravity from households to each of the three (3) pump stations. Pump stations 1 and 2 will pump sewage to PS 3 which will eventually dispose the raw sewage in to the ocean. The land allocated for the Pump Stations were discussed with the Island Council and the suggested/agreed location was sent to Ministry of Environment and Energy. Finalized location of the Pump station was decided after Ministry of Environment discussed with Ministry of Housing (Land Authority) and the Island Council. The finalized location is attached on the next page.
Figure 3: Location of the pump stations and the proposed outfall location
Page 23
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
The three pumping Stations (PS) is to be constructed in the Island for collection of Sewerage from the gravity Sewerage main line and is to be pumped to the sea outfall. Civil constructions of the Pump Stations are of RCC. Pumping stations-1 & 2 will discharge wastewater through the sewage pumping main (HDPE) to the pumping station-3. The number of pumps in each pumping station will be two (one working + one Stand-by). An automated control panel is provided for the pumps to alternate between the working pump and the standby pump for consecutive pumping events. Each pump capacity will have peak flow capacity. The following table shows the details of the Pumps used in most pump station.
1.0 PUMPING STATION SUBMERSIBLE PUMP DETAILS
1.1 Pump Maker’s Name FLYGT 1.2 Level control type(s) Ultrasonic or float switches 1.3 Country of Origin Sweden
Pumping Station Float Levels are as follow;
- Low Level : Pump cut off level
- High Level : Pump I duty level
- Extra High level: Pump 2 duty level
7 . 5 . 3 Treatment of wastewater
Treatment of wastewater is the most ideal method of disposal, especially when the receiving water body does not have the potential to dilute the sewage. The dilution potential is determined by the prevailing conditions in the receiving environment such as current flow, volume of water and frequency of disposal. Studies and hydraulic modelling undertaken in Male’ indicate that although treatment is ideal before discharge, it is not required for such a size island as the wastewater is domestic in nature and there is high potential for dilution. In the future, it may be worthwhile to do at least a reduction of the BOD value by holding the wastewater in a large tank before disposal. In the project island, there is potential area for such a facility if it is required in the future.
7 . 5 . 4 Technology
Flygt submersible N series pumps will be used in pump stations. The number of
Page 24
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll pumps in each pump station will be two (1working + 1 Standby), each having the peak wet weather flow capacity of the zone). The highest efficiency values for typical single vane pumps are around 70% but flygt N pump series deliver 80% or better at 10-15% lower power consumption. And flygt pump maintains this efficiency even in fluids with high solid fibrous content. Required spare parts for operation and maintenance of the pumps will be available from xylem, Hong Kong branch.
The control system will be designed to control two pumps of desired capacity. The pump start stops will work on the high and low water level float switches installed in the collection sump.
The pumps will run on alternate basis i.e if pump P1 is running, P2 will be as standby. On the second start cycle P2 will run while P1 will stay as standby.
Operations of the pumps are controlled by level controllers/switches. A float switch is used as emergency float which will be switched on and alarm buzzer and beacon will be activated if both pumps are faulty or if the water level in the sump reaches the Alarm Level.
The control panel is designed with microprocessor based controller for automatic control and monitoring of the system. The system will alert on situation, as detailed below. Pump failure / trip alarm for each pump High water level alarm Supply power failure alarm Standby generator startup and trip alert. Low level alarm ( activated after specified period of time – dry run protection )
Panel board shall be fabricated in IP65 enclosures. Yet, the panel boards will be installed under a shed to protect from direct sunlight and rain. Cables from the pumps and float switches to the control panel will be laid through a cable duct or trench put in place from the sump up to the control panel mounting shed.
7 . 5 . 5 Design period
The Sewerage networks have been designed for a period of 35 years.
7 . 5 . 6 F l o w r a t e s
The following table shows the flow rates that have been considered for the design of the network. (The flow rate is inclusive of 10% infiltration as per EPA
Page 25
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll guideline).
Peak wet weather flow Average Dry Average Wet Peak wet weather weather flow Peak factor weather flow flow Network area (AWWF) (PWWF) (ADWF) (m³/day) PS1 area 161.28 177.41 3.0 532.23 PS2 area 96.96 106.66 3.0 319.98 PS3 area 145.32 159.85 3.0 479.55
Table 1: Flow rates of the pump stations
7 . 5 . 7 Sewerage network design
Conventional gravity Sewerage system, mainly consisting of uPVC of OD 160 mm OD uPVC pipe has been used for the main Sewerage network and OD110mm have been used for house connection.
7.5.7.1 Design parameters
The following design parameters and considerations according to the EPA guideline (Design criteria and technical specifications for conventional gravity sewerage systems) were taken during the design of the Sewerage network; Minimum slope of 1 in 250 has been taken. Velocity of 0.6m/sec has been maintained throughout the pipe as per the contract. Maximum excavation depth of 2.5m has been considered for pipe laying. Infiltration of 10% had been considered in the flow rates. Peak factor of 3 is considered. Manhole / Access Chamber spacing of not more than 60m and will be provided at street crossings, change of slope, change of size/direction of street sewer. The manhole will be of plastic material like uPVC or HDPE.
7.5.7.2 Sewerage Flow formula;
The sewerage network has been designed using the following formula; Manning Formula
Q=AxV V=1/nxR2/3xI1/2
Page 26
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Q: Design wastewater flow incl.reserve capacity(m3/s) A:Sectionareaofsewageinpipe(m2) V:Velocity(m/s) n:Roughness coefficient R: HydraulicRadius=A/P(m) P:Wettedperimeter(m) I:Slope
7.5.7.3 Network design The main sewer is OD 160mm laid at slope of 1 in 250 in all areas. This will provide a peak discharge of 533 m³/day according to Island maximum discharge in a PS area. At 120 Lcd with a peak factor of 3, this translates into a population capacity of maximum 1,344 in one PS area network. Each road will have a collector of 150 mm main line which will join an inlet into the pump station or last manhole in zones where pump stations located. Based upon the above design parameters (section 3.1) and as per design methodology in section 2 of the report the Sewerage network is to be designed.
7 . 6 Project management The project will be managed by MWSC by way of subcontracting some of the civil works to contractors. Other technical and engineering services will be managed by MWSC team. The contractor will provide a daily work schedule for the project and will be responsible from hiring labourers to supply, installation and commissioning of the works assigned to that contractor.
7 . 7 B r i e f d escription of the sewage disposal p r o c e s s The system will collect raw sewage from households and convey to the pump stations through gravity. The sewage will be disposed to the deep water beyond the reef without any treatment.
7 . 7 . 1 T echnical details
The following table outlines the Raw Effluent Quality (Domestic Sewage & Wastewater). Parameter Characteristics of Influent Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5) 350 mg/l Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) 650 mg/l Suspended Solids 500 mg/l Oil & Grease 3-30 mg/l pH 6.5-8.0 Water Temperature 28 0C Table 2: Characteristics of the wastewater
Page 27
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
The following table outlines the EPA guidelines for maximum allowable concentrations for discharge into deep waters. EPA guidelines for maximum Parameter allowable concentrations for discharge into deep sea. Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5) 40 mg/l
Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) 50 mg/l
Suspended Solids 150 mg/L
pH 5 -9.5
Oil & Grease (After effective fat/Grease trap) 5 mg/L
Figure 4: EPA guidelines for maximum allowable concentrations for discharge into deep sea.
Page 28
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
7 . 8 Project duration
A tentative project schedule is outlined below. Task Name Duration Start Finish Design and Built Sewerage Collection Network, Sewerage Pumping Stations in 733 days 9/1/2014 9/2/2016 R.Alifushi Survey and Design 150 days 9/1/2014 2/28/2015 Survey for Pump Station Location 50 days 9/1/2014 10/20/2014 Approval of Pump Station Location from 26 days 10/21/2014 11/15/2014 Ministry Sewerage system Design 60 days 12/17/2014 2/14/2015 EIA 60 days 9/16/2014 11/2/2014 Design & EIA approvals 14 days 11/16/2014 2/28/2015 Procurement of Materials 150 days 3/13/2015 8/9/2015 Pipes and fittings 150 days 3/13/2015 8/9/2015 Catch Pits, Manholes, frames 150 days 3/13/2015 8/9/2015 Pumps, electric Panels..etc 150 days 3/13/2015 8/9/2015 SRC Cement 150 days 3/13/2015 8/9/2015 Site Mobilization for Construction 60 days 6/2/2015 7/31/2015 Establishment of Contractors office 60 days 6/2/2015 7/31/2015 Establishment of Material Storage 60 days 6/2/2015 7/31/2015 Establishment of Accomodations 60 days 6/2/2015 7/31/2015 Civil Works 382 days 8/10/2015 8/25/2016 Sewerage Network/House connections 382 days 8/10/2015 8/25/2016 Pumping Stations 220 days 8/10/2015 3/16/2016 Pumping Main 150 days 8/10/2015 1/6/2016 Sea Outfall 150 days 8/10/2015 1/6/2016 Mechanical & Electric works 21 days 3/17/2016 4/6/2016 Pumping Stations 21 days 3/17/2016 4/6/2016 Testing & Commissioning 7 days 8/26/2016 9/1/2016 Project Handover 1 day 9/2/2016 9/2/2016
Page 29
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
7 . 9 Project Inputs and Outputs 7 . 9 . 1 Project Inpu ts
Input resource(s) Source/ Type How to obtain resources 10 to 15 Construction Maldivians +foreign Contractor’s responsibility workers labours Operational Staff. 3 to 4 Locals Advertise in local papers or obtain local staff trained by through island office contractor and working in shifts. Already MWSC has the technical and human resource capability. Construction materials UPVC pipes, reinforcement Import and purchase where locally steel bars, sand, cement, available at competitive prices – aggregates, etc. Contractor’s responsibility. Maintenance material. 5- Pump spares, catchpit Import and also local purchase year spares made covers, replacement pipes, available cleaning gear etc. Water supply (during Rainwater from the island From the island. construction) Electricity/Energy Electricity from the Diesel-based electricity from island (during construction) island’s main power grid. mains Electricity/Energy Electricity for operation Diesel-based electricity from island (during operation) mains Table 2: Matrix of major inputs during construction period
Page 30
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
7 . 9 . 2 Project Outputs
The type of outputs (products and waste streams) and what is expected to happen to them are given in the following table. Products and waste Anticipated quantities Method of disposal materials Treated effluent ready Refer toTable 1 Disposed to open sea via pumping for discharge to deep sea station. Sludge Approximately 0.38% of Dried and used as fertilizer or disposed the total. in to the deep sea. This will be required to do once in 3 years. Constructional waste Small quantities Reused and sent to landfill (either to Vandhoo island or to Thilafushi) Noise Localised to the project Unavoidable during the construction site including the stage but will be minimized. Noise will surrounding areas. not be a nuisance as manual labour will be used without the need for any heavy machinery. Air pollution Limited quantities of dust, Mainly arising as a result of emission oxides of Nitrogen and from the construction work such as sulphur from use of from excavation of trenches to replace machinery in the the catch pits and pipes. construction zone. Foul odour Moderate levels at Venting will be done and pump station pumping station during will discharge to the deep sea. Pump the pumping hours stations are located in appropriate areas especially. away from the general community as much as possible. Table 3: Matrix of major outputs of environmental significance during construction stage
Page 31
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
8 Methodology
This section outlines the methodologies used in this environmental assessment. The following table outlines a matrix of methodologies used in this project. Details of these methodologies and their descriptions are attached as an annex.
Methodology type Area / environmental aspect Used in this project (yes/no)
General methodologies of data Generally covering the Yes collection broader Environment Mapping and location identification Coastal, terrestrial and Yes marine environment. Marine Environmental survey Marine environment Yes
20 m Line Intercept transect (LIT) Marine environment Yes
50 m photo quadrate analysis Marine environment No
Qualitative assessment of the reef Marine environment Yes Permanent photo quadrate Marine environment No Ref fish visual census Marine environment Yes
Marine Water Quality Marine environment Yes Coastal Environment Coastal Environment Yes Shoreline and vegetation line Coastal Environment No mapping Coastal structures mapping Coastal Environment No
Erosion and accretion areas Coastal Environment No mapping Beach profiles Coastal Environment No
Drogues and current Coastal Environment Yes Terrestrial Environment Terrestrial environment Terrestrial floral survey Terrestrial environment No Terrestrial faunal survey Terrestrial environment No Groundwater assessment Terrestrial environment Yes Bathymetry Marine / Coastal Yes Environment Aerial Photos Generally covering the Yes broader Environment Long term weather data Generally covering the Yes broader Environment
Page 32
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
9 Existing Environment of Maldives 9 . 1 Existing general environment of Maldives
The general environmental conditions of Maldives are well documented in many EIA reports and reference is made on the following EIA reports. EIA for the development of sewerage system in Nilandhoo, Faafu Atoll (Water Solutions Pvt Ltd, 2006)
EIA for the development of a resort in Kalhufahalafushi island in Thaa Atoll (Water Solutions Pvt.Ltd, 2006).
9 . 2 Existing Marine Environment
The marine environmental survey at Alifushi island was focused on three sites as indicated in the following diagramme.
Figure 6: Marine Survey Locations
Site selection for the marine survey was based on the location where the sea outfall is proposed and an alternative location.
9 . 3 Methodology of marine surveys
To assess the benthic composition of the survey site, an LIT transect of 20
Page 33
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll meters were undertaken. The benthic categorization was focused on categorizing life forms followed under the Reef Check protocol, which emphasises on benthic composition categorizing such as hard corals, sand, rock and others. The emphasis is not on recording corals to their species levels, but rather the general coral and other life forms such as hard and soft corals. This method is more accurate as the percentage of healthy coral cover and other life forms can be more accurately recorded even by a non-experienced surveyor. Recording corals to their species levels will pose difficulty if the surveyor is not familiar with the different coral types. This method is universally used throughout the world by Reef Check surveyors and hence it has been used.
This LIT method was also complimented by qualitative methods, such as visual observations and through the use of photos. Fish counts were also undertaken to get a snapshot of the fish population. Details of these methodologies are discussed in the methodology section.
The following are definition of benthic categories used in this survey. HC: All living coral including bleached coral; includes fire, blue and organ pipe corals SC: Include zoanthids but not anemones (OT) RKC: Coral that has died within the past year; appears fresh and white or with corallite structures still recognizable NIA: All macro-algae except coralline, calcareous and turf (record the substrate beneath for these); Halimeda is recorded as OT; turf is shorter than 3cm. SP: All erect and encrusting sponges (but no tunicates). RC: Any hard substrate; includes dead coral more than 1 yr old and may be covered by turf or encrusting coralline algae, barnacles, etc. RB: Reef rocks between 0.5 and 15cm in diameter SD: Sediment less than 0.5cm in diameter; in water, falls quickly to the bottom when dropped. SI: Sediment that remains in suspension if disturbed; recorded if color of the underlying surface is obscured by silt.
OT: Any other sessile organism including sea anemones, tunicates, gorgonians or non-living substrate.
General impression and quantitative results of the sites surveyed are described in the following pages. The diagrammes in the following pages illustrates the marine survey locations as well as reef status, their GPS coordinates are outlines below.
Page 34
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
9 . 4 C o r a l r e e f
Three sites were surveyed to assess the marine environment as baseline for reef benthic community. The geographical coordinates and the locations are outlined in the diagramme attached in the following pages. Two sites were from within the western side of the island and one site from the southern side was choosen.
9 . 5 Status of coral reef at site 1(M1)
Site 1 was chosen from the nowestern side, north of the boat yard harbour. This site was choosen as the concept plan outlines the outfall to pass through the boat yard harbour area.
Site 1 has sustained lot of damaged as the harbour construction has already rendered this area to a state where the natural environment has been modified. Due the scale of the harbour project, the area has not regained new coral growth and the area is considered to be mainly covered with rocks, sand and rubble. The entire area is formed with rocks and coral rubbles, making this area very murky. There is also an entrance channel for small boats. There is a distinct demarcation of the deepend area from the shallow areas of the lagoon in this site. During the survey, the visibility was poor as thre was lot of sedimentation.
The reef slope is very steep and seems to be a sudden drop off from the reef crest. The site contains lot of large coral rocks including the reef slope which has relatively very less percentage of live corals. The reef slope at the edge is approximately 2 meters.
The fish population was another indicator that was used to assess the health of the site. Most of the fishes at this site were grazers and herbivore species. Some of them were found in high numbers but the diversity of fish population can be considered low. To assess the fish population, fish counts were done for fish families as used by the Reef Check fish survey method. The following graph outlines the percentage benthic composition at site 1 and the following table outlines the results of the LIT transect at site 1 in Alifushi island.
Page 35
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Figure 7: Percentage benthic composition at site 1.
Live reef cover Mean % per segment SE HC 10% 0% SC 0% 0% NIA 0% 0% SP 0% 0% OT 0% 0% Non-living reef cover Mean % per segment SE RKC 0% 0% RC 80% 0% RB 5% 4% SD 5% 4% SI 0% 0% Table 4: Percentage benthic composition at site 1 (M1)
Live coral cover at site 1 was 10%. Of the non living components, rocks dominated this area with 80%. Percentage of coral rubbles and sand is 5%. No bleached corals were recorded or found.
9 . 6 Status of coral reef at site 2(M2)
Site 2 was selected from west of the existing harbour and was selected as this was the proposed outfall location.
Site 2 is comparatively a much more healthy area with lot of coral massives and hundreds of fish species with high diversity. There are more live corals towards the
Page 36
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll reef slope area compared to the inner areas of the reef. The visibility was much better in this area with plenty of fish on the reef slope. Other marine life encountered includes 2 large turtles. The reef slope is not as steep as site 1 and hence, some areas were seen to gradually slope. Live reef cover Mean % per segment SE HC 43% 2% SC 0% 0% NIA 0% 0% SP 0% 0% OT 0% 0% Non-living reef cover Mean % per segment SE RKC 0% 0% RC 50% 7% RB 8% 5% SD 0% 0% SI 0% 0% Table 5: Percentage benthic composition at site 2 (M2)
Live coral cover at site 2 was 43%. Of the non-living components, rocks dominated this area with 50%. Percentage of coral rubbles is 8%. No bleached corals were recorded nor any nutrient indicative algae. The following graph illustrates the percentage of benthic composition at site 2.
Figure 8: Percentage benthic composition at site 2 (M2)
Page 37
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
9 . 7 Status of coral reef at site 3(M3)
Site 3 was selected from south side of the island. The following table outlines the percentage of benthic composition at site 3. Live reef cover Mean % per segment SE HC 23% 16% SC 0% 0% NIA 0% 0% SP 0% 0% OT 6% 4% Non-living reef cover Mean % per segment SE RKC 0% 0% RC 0% 0% RB 3% 2% SD 69% 10% SI 0% 0% Table 6: Percentage benthic composition at site 3 (M3)
Live coral cover at site 2 was 43%. Of the non-living components, rocks dominated this area with 50%. Percentage of coral rubbles is 8%. No bleached corals were recorded nor any nutrient indicative algae. The following graph illustrates the percentage of benthic composition at site 2.
Figure 9: Percentage benthic composition at site 3 (M3)
Page 38
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
9 . 8 Status of fish abundance
The amount and type of fish present at a given site can be a good indicator of the marine environment. For example, increased grazers are generally a sign of increased nutrients in the area, thus decreased coral cover and increased algal cover. Similarly, more live corals will attract more fish and some of the fishes are associated with different types and growth forms of corals. For example, Damselfish like Dascyllus sp. or Chromis sp. are common fish found in branching corals and large schools are often seen around healthy branching corals.
In abundance, fish communities were by far dominated by the herbivorous Acanthuridae in both sites. Details of the fish census survey is outlined in the following table. Abundance Family Common name Site 1 Site 2 Site 3 Acanthuridae Surgeonfish 10 20+ 0 Labridae Wrasses 1 3 5 Scaridae Parrotfish 3 5 1 Lutjanidae Snappers 1 2 0 Chaetodontidae Butterflyfish 3 10 2 Holocentridae Sqirrel- and Soldierfish 2 2 0 Zanclidae Moorish Idol 8 2 0 Table 7: Results of the Fish census survey at Alifushi island
Page 39
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
9 . 9 Marine water quality and bathymetry
The primary objective of the marine water quality sampling was to determine the baseline conditions of the marine water in the project site. Qualitative and quantitative assessments were made on seawater from one location. The bathymetry of the lagoon is attached as an annex. The following table illustrates the result of the marine water quality test. Water Quality Site SW Optimal Ref range Physical Clear appearance
Electrical 55500.00 Conductivity (us/cm Temperature C 30.00 18 - 32 GBRMPA 2009 Degree Celcius Total Dissolved 26800mg/L Solids Salinity (mg/l) or 33300.00 3.2% - 4.2% GBRMPA 2010 PPT pH 8.30 8 to 8.3. Levels below 7.4 will cause stress Turbidity (NTU) 1.00 3 to 5 NTU. > Cooper et al 2008 5 NTU causes stress Suspended solids 1.00 (mg/l)
Table 8: Results of the marine water quality tests undertaken in Alifushi island
9 . 9 . 1 Prevailing currents around the sea outfall location
To measure the currents around the proposed sea outfall location, a drogue test was undertaken. The test was undertaken during low and high tide using a floating GPS. Average of 3 readings for each tide period was averaged and the results are illustrated below.
Page 40
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Figure 10: Results of the Drogue test
Page 41
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
9 . 1 0 Existing Terrestrial Environment 9 . 1 0 . 1 Section Brief
The terrestrial environment of Alifushi was assessed using the following methods: 1- High definition low aerial photography to assess the vegetation and the island as a whole from above. Particular focus was given to areas where pump stations will be constructed as well as thick vegetation areas.
2- Ground truthing of the island and by undertaking a visual inspection of the areas where the proposed pump stations will be constructed. The objective of the terrestrial assessment was to identify whether any vegetation clearance would be required to construct the pump stations or while laying the pipe line.
3- Testing the ground water quality both quantitatively and qualitatively.
The sewerage pipes will be laid on existing roads areas and does not require cutting or clearing any vegetation. Hence, no detail tree surveys were undertaken as it is irrelevant for this project.
The diagrammes attached in the following pages depicts the terrestrial environment of Alifushi.
9 . 1 0 . 2 Ground water
Groundwater quality was assessed by taking a sample from a groundwater well. The household wells were visually inspected, and samples were tested for electrical conductivity (salinity). The water quality results for the sampled wells for each Alifushi are tabulated in the following table. Some wells received excess rainwater from household roofs, where tank overflows were directed into the household well. The result of this was for the well salinities to be reduced below those normally associated with groundwater. As it happened, the survey period coincided with the south west monsoon rains; it is possible that the salinity readings are biased to some extent. The minimum true groundwater salinity recorded on Alifushi was 870 µS/cm.
It is assumed that freshwater can be defined by a maximum limit of 2500 µS/cm. WHO guidelines suggest a maximum Chloride content of 250 mg/l for potable uses which equates to a salinity of approximately 1,500 µS/cm. However experience in other small island states (Falkland, 2000) confirms whilst this is desirable, a more
Page 42
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll realistic limit is 2,500 µS/cm. Using this definition, it is clear that most of the sampled wells in Alifushi does have freshwater (survey was undertaken during the rainy season).
The results are illustrated below.
Parameters 2 3 4 5 1 tested Physical Clear Clear Slightly Clear Clear appearance yellowish TDS (mg/L) 497 553 460 434 670 pH 8 7 7.6 8.2 7.5 Temp (C) 29 29.3 31 31 28 Salinity (PPT)) 0.5 0.5 0.4 0.4 0.6 Electrical 996 1108 920 870 1340 conductivity (uS/cm) Faecal coliform 0 0 0 0 (refer to the lab results) Table 9: Results of the groundwater quality in Alifushi, Raa Atoll (June 2014)
Figure 11: Groundwater sampling locations in Alifushi island (June 2014)
Page 43
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
9 . 1 0 . 3 Availability of freshwater and sustainable yield
As mentioned previously, the household survey enabled to assess the groundwater quality and establish baseline data for future monitoring purpose. The survey has also allowed to measure the areal extent of the freshwater lens in Alifushi. This was important to quantify the environmental impacts of sewerage system. Sewerage systems generally require water which is mainly used to flush the system. This water in most cases is disposed off the island creating a huge water loss from the groundwater reserve. In contrast to this, with onsite sanitation systems, the partially treated effluent is returned back to the islands groundwater system which helps to recharge the water. In these systems, grey water is often released in to the ground helping to recharge the groundwater even more. This sort of recharging is not possible once a sewerage system is in place unless the system has provision or separate system for separating grey water from black water. The system proposed for Alifushi disposes wastewater in to the ocean. The propose system does not recycle any treated wastewater in to the ground, allowing recharging of the groundwater through recycling of treated wastewater.
Bearing this in mind, the following calculations were made to quantify the water loss from the island and what impact it would have on the groundwater system of the island. Based on the survey, the lens area of the island is approximately 30 hectares and the total area of the island is 59 hectares. This means the freshwater lens as proportional to the island is 50%. The island receives an annual rainfall of 2000 mm (this is the annual rainfall for Maldives) and it is assumed that the recharge of the lens from the rainfall is 30% (30% is reasonable to use since the island is not heavily vegetated and not too barren). (Falkland, 2000) assumes a sustainable yield (as percentage recharge) to be 30%. From the previous studies undertaken in Maldives, the following figures are assumed for water demand. Per capita potable water demand (lpd) 10 Per capita grey water demand (lpd) 50 Per capita black water demand (lpd) 35 Total water demand per capita (lpd) 95 Table 10: Water demand data for Maldives (Falkland, 2000)
Using these figures the island’s sustainable yield was calculated to be 148 m3/d using the following formula.
Page 44
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Island Freshwater lens area * 1000 * (Average rainfall/1000) * Sustainable Yield Recharge * (Sustainable Yeild/365) (m3/d) =
Sustainable yield per m3 per day per hectare is 2.5 liters calculated using the following equation
Sustainable Island Sustainable Yield / island area Yield (m3/d/ha) =
Sustainable yield per capita is 56 lpd for Alifushi calculated using the following formula.
Sustainable (Island Sustainable Yield *1000) / island population Yield per capita
Therefore the net water demand per capita (lpd) assuming that no wastewater is recharged back to the ground is calculated using the following formula.
Net Water [Total water demand per capita(lpd) – perecentage grey water demand per capita demand) * grey water return (%age) (lpd) =
Therefore the additional water demand per capita is 39 L. Hence, for Alifushi Island, with the installation of the sewerage system with no grey water recycled back to the island, it is expected to cause salinization of the groundwater. Therefore the aquifer is not going to meet the water demands of the system and will not be able to maintain the water quality and freshness in the longterm unless integrated water management issues are not taken in to consideration. Some of the ways how groundwater recharge can be increased are highlighted and discussed in the impacts and mitigation section.
Page 45
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
9 . 1 1 Existing Socio - Economic Environment 9 . 1 1 . 1 Introduction to the atoll
Raa Atoll is located in the north central region of Maldives. There are 15 inhabited islands and 1 resort operating. The following table outlines the list of islands in the atoll. Raa atoll has the 4th largest population among the atolls (excludes the capital Male’). Island Name Population Dhuvaafaru 4000 UN'GOOFAARU 2988 Alifushi 1974 Meedhoo 1736 Maduvvari 1558 Hulhudhuffaaru 1516 In'guraidhoo 1278 Maakurathu 877 Innamaadhoo 537 Rasgatheemu 504 Rasmaadhoo 487 Kinolhas 345 Vaadhoo 320 An'golhitheemu 272 Fainu 251 Table 11: List of inhabited islands in Raa Atoll
The atoll has the most number of inhabited islands and the most number of resorts proposed for development as shown in the following graphs.
Page 46
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Inhabited Islands
16 15 14 14 14 13 13 13 13
12 11 10 10 9 9 9 8 8 8 6 6 6 5 5 Series1 4 4 3
2 1
0
Raa
Baa
Thaa
Faafu
Vaavu
Seenu
Laamu
Noonu
Dhaalu
Meemu
Haa Alifu
Lhaviyani
Shaviyani
AlifuAlifu
Gnaviyani
GaafuAlifu
HaaDhaalu
SouthMale'
NorthMale'
AlifuDhaalu GaafuDhaalu Figure 12: Number of ihabited islands by Atoll
Page 47
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Proposed Resorts
Raa Shaviyani Haa Alifu Thaa Baa Noonu Haa Dhaalu Laamu Alifu Dhaalu Gaafu Dhaalu Gaafu Alifu Series1 North Male' Meemu Alifu Alifu Seenu Dhaalu Faafu Vaavu Lhaviyani South Male' Gnaviyani 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Figure 13: Number of proposed resorts by Atoll
9 . 1 1 . 2 A l i f u s h i i s l a n d
The project takes place in the island of Alifushi in Raa Atoll. Alifushi is located in Raa Atoll at 5°58’02”N and 72°57’11” E and the land area is 59.47Ha. The island is situated at about 207Km from capital Male’ and 89Km from the closest Airport, Hanimaadhoo. Alifushi is the northern most island of Raa atoll. The registered population of the island is 2,631 and the actual population is believed to be 1,130.
The main infrastructure on the island include Residential Buildings, Government Institutions, a Health Center, 02 Schools, 06 Mosques, a Power House and so on. There is an RO Plant which is currently out of operation and an old water distribution network to provide water for several single tap points located at various locations of the island. Electricity service is provided 24 hours by FENAKA Corporation. Cable TV network is also laid in the island and is operating by a Private Party.
Page 48
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
9 . 1 1 . 3 Economic Activities
Boat building is the main economic activity while involvement in fishing and fish processing is on increase. There are 626 registered house plots out of which 276 houses are unoccupied.
9 . 1 1 . 4 Electricity
The island has diesel generators and all households and institutions are connected with this power grid operated by FENAKA.
9 . 1 1 . 5 H e a l t h
The Island has a government owned Health centre with one doctor. The centre is equipped with basic medical treatment facilities.
9 . 1 1 . 6 Water and Sanitation
Issues related to water, sanitation and garbage disposal is among the biggest problems for this island as indicated by the public consultation sessions. The island does not have a proper sanitation system. The existing sanitation system comprise of septic tanks. There is an RO plant but operational.
Page 49
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
10 Environmental Impacts 1 0 . 1 Assessing and identification of I m p a c t
Environmental Impact identification has been undertaken by considering the proposed activities and examining the level of impact the proposed development will have on the environment. Each activity was then examined in detail to identify the construction methods, technology and other factors that would determine the potential impact of the various activities. The following two methods were used to identify the impacts of this project. Impact Identification Matrix (refer to the matrix) Expert judgment. This method relied on experience gained from similar projects in Maldives.
1 0 . 2 Impact identification matrix
This matrix was designed to help provide an assessment and screening of the potential environmental impacts of this project. The matrix considered 17 potential environmental factors. Indicators are listed for each factor and these are used as a weighing scale. The project components are then assessed against each factor, scoring them on a scale of 1 to 10. This tool was thus utilized to help provide an assessment and screening of the potential environmental impacts of this project. The matrix will identify the impact types. Once the impact types are determined, the matrix is then used to assess the impact significance together with the network diagramme and expert judgment.
This matrix contains: An impact assessment matrix which lists all of the 17 environmental factors and allows, for each one, to provide a score (1-10) and any additional comments. Each factor considers several sub categories (not indicated in the following matrix), depending on the project type and a total score is derived by averaging the individual scores.
A summary of scores for each factors and the impact type, negative, positive or neutral.
Page 50
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
All types of projects that are listed in the EIA Regulation of 2012 can be assessed using this tool. The following table outlines the impact assessment matrix and the scores for the 17 categories derived for this project. Impacts Total score Negative Neutral Positive (1-3) (4 -7) (8 -10) Air pollution 5.00 x Waste 5.00 x Water pollution * 8.00 x Water pollution ** 3.00 x Noise/Vibration 5.00 x Amenity 8.00 x Ground water 8.00 x conservation Energy 4.00 x Energy efficiency 4.00 x Access to quality green 5.00 x space Flooding 5.00 x Transport 5.00 x Biodiversity 3.00 x Local environmental 9.00 x quality Resource depletion 5.40 x Health gain 8.00 x Employment 5.00 x Socio-economic 8.00 x implications Scale Score 1-3, Negative Environmental Impact Scale Score 4-7; Neutral Environmental Impact Scale Score 8-10; Positive Environmental Impact
Note: * Bacteriological water quality; ** Salinity of water quality.
Table 12: Impact assessment matrix for the project
Page 51
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
1 0 . 3 Magnitude of impacts
Environmental impacts of the proposed work have been examined through the above mentioned three processes and the results are outlined in the following pages. By using the impact assessment matrix as a tool, the magnitude of the impacts can be assessed as outlined in the following table. Scores based on the impact assessment matrix < Negative Impacts > < Neutral Impacts > < Positive Impacts >* 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Magnitude Major 2, Minor 4 &5 Minor, 6 & 7 Good Very Excellent of adverse adverse Negligible good impacts. 3, Moderate adverse Table 13: Impact magnitudes and their corresponding scores.
This EIA identifies and quantifies the significance of impacts on the environment from the proposed project. Impacts on the environment were identified and described according to their location/attribute, extent (magnitude) and characteristics (such as short-term or long term, direct or indirect, reversible or irreversible) and assessed in terms of their significance according to the following categories: Negligible – the impact is too small to be of any significance; Minor– the impact is minor; Minor adverse – the impact is undesirable but accepted; Moderate adverse – the impact give rise to some concern but is likely to be tolerable in short-term (e.g. construction phase) or will require a value judgment as to its acceptability; Major adverse – the impact is large scale giving rise to great concern; it should be considered unacceptable and requires significant change or halting of the project. Positive – the impact is likely to bring a positive change in the sense that it is aimed at further minimizing the impacts as a result of the proposed actions.
1 0 . 4 Uncertainties in Impact Prediction
Environmental impact prediction involves a certain degree of uncertainty as the natural and anthropogenic impacts can vary from place to place due to even slight differences in ecological, geomorphological or social conditions in a particular place. There is also limited data and information regarding some sites under consideration, which makes it difficult to predict impacts.
Page 52
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
However, the level of uncertainty, in the case of this project is expected to be very low as this project requires very limited or little environmental modifications. The reef area proposed for the construction of the deep sea outfall was not considered to be a high sensitive area as the percentage of coral cover is very low. As a result, extensive damage to the marine environment during this construction period is not expected to occur.
During construction period, inside the island, no large and mature trees will be cut nor will any clearing of vegetation take place to lay the sewer pipe lines as they will be laid in existing roads. Underbrush clearing in areas proposed for the pump station is expected to take place but is not going to be a significant impact. Therefore, unlike in a new project, the environment will not be significantly impacted from the civil works and hence, prediction is very high. The only uncertain elements during construction period remain the issue of dewatering during the pipe laying works.
The following tables outlines the impacts and mitigation measures proposed as well as the matrix of impacts and their characterization. Reference to the matrix was derived from (Hoepner, 1999).
Page 53
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Page 54
1 0 . 5 Impacts and mitigation measures Activity / Stage Potential Impacts Mitigation measures Cost of Mitigation Construction period Impacts on the terrestrial environment from civil works The impact from civil works in the construction phase will have the direct, shot-term impacts and long-term impacts on the islands terrestrial environment. The impact on the terrestrial environment will result from the following activities. Groundwater Impacts on the groundwater due to excavation of Ensure that dewatering during the Included in the trenches. During the construction stage, excavation will excavation for trenches and other contract. The occur to lay the sewer networks. Pipe network will be construction works is done as per EPA contractor will laid below (in pump station areas) or just above the guidelines and methods of dewatering. be required to do groundwater table of the island as the island's Ensure that no leaks and accidental the dewatering, groundwater table is quite shallow. Hence, the project spillages of oil occur from vehicles and hence all anticipates some dewatering of groundwater for laying that they are maintained adequately. associated costs of the sewer network. There will also be the Nominate a site manager, to be of pumps, labour replacement of some existing private network pipes). responsible for good site practices, and other work Dewatering will exacerbate the ground water quality arrangements for collection and are to be and increased the chance of salt intrusion, accidental or effective disposal to an appropriate included in the construction related leaks of chemicals and oils in to the facility, of all wastes generated at the contract. ground and the possibility of salt intrusion triggered by site during construction stage. disturbances that may be caused due to excavation Training of site personnel in proper works and dewatering. waste management procedures and general environmental care. Dewatering This project does not anticipate large scale dewatering to be done in to the island to prevent as only the pump station areas will require excavating wastage of fresh water from the island deep. If dewatering is to be done, then EPA guidelines system. will be followed. EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Activity / Stage Potential Impacts Mitigation measures Cost of Mitigation Groundwater Excavation and withdrawal of ground water especially Ensure that dewatering during the Included in the around the periphery of the island will increase the excavation for trenches is minimized contract likelihood of “up-coning” of the water lens below any and that extracted water is pumped back given point, thereby allowing salt water intrusion. to the aquifer, rather than disposing to the sea. No excavation will take place along the periphery of the island. Construction There is the likelihood of groundwater becoming saline Limiting dewatering only to the Criteria and period if excess water is extracted, especially from sensitive required amount. guidelines for areas such as around the periphery of the island. Ensuring that the pipe laying works are dewatering undertaken within the minimum time methods will be Not expected to impact as the project does not require period. included in the large scale dewatering. Strategically phasing the pipe laying contract period. works, so that dewatering will be done in limited amounts. Solid waste Accumulation of solid waste during the construction Appropriate waste handling, Direct cost stage is a potential hazard that is always inevitable transportation and disposal methods for difficult, but during the construction stage. Solid waste will be all waste generated during the contractor to generated as they will result from construction construction works should be manage the activities. The excavated material is anticipated to implemented to ensure that construction waste in consist mainly of waste pvc pipes, empty cement bags, wastes do not pollute the environment. consultation wood pieces and small quantities of sand. In view of Excavated sand must be filled to with the island. the scale and nature of the land-based construction trenches and all construction waste to Cost included in works, the volume of construction and debris and be collected at the waste management the contract. excavated materials requiring off-site disposal to public area of the island.Waste should be Cost of 1 trip to filling areas or any other location is anticipated to be disposed to Thilafushi at the end of the Thilafushi island minimal. The materials excavated will be used to fill the construction period. from Alifushi is trenches. This will eliminate the potential of this waste All left over pipes, manhole covers, expected to be from being introduced in to the marine waters during cement and other materials that can be Mrf 35000. which they will pollute the marine environment. It is not reused should be taken back by the anticipated that adverse waste management related contractor at the end of the project.
Page 56
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Activity / Stage Potential Impacts Mitigation measures Cost of Mitigation impacts would arise, provided that good site practices are strictly followed.
Noise Noise generated during construction will not be an issue Elimination of noise may not be totally Work protocols as the construction process will not generate high noise achieved, as construction takes place will be outlined throughout the life cycle. However, there will be noise within the island. Sewer pipes will be in the contract generated to some extent, which cannot be avoided at laid on existing roads and pathways and document all. during most times in close proximity to the general public. Despite being The project will not use large machinery for temporary, all construction activities construction such as excavators or require the use of that generate noise will be carefully generators or other noise generating equipment. Hence, supervised by project supervisors to noise will not be an issue. ensure they cause minimal noise. Work will be minimized at night as much as possible to avoid disruption to the community. Construction of Excavation of the trench for laying of the sea outfall Sea outfall construction will be Mitigation the marine pipe will cause sedimentation during the construction contracted to an experienced contractor measures reflect outfall process that will create negative impacts on the coral who have undertaken similar mostly work reef as well as any live corals in the lagoon. construction works. methods and Use qualified divers during the outfall procedures. Direct destruction of live corals along the pipe pathway construction to minimize unnecessary Hence, the will be destroyed; especially corals at the reef crest and damage. contractor is to reef slope areas will be impacted heavily during the Ensure that outfall construction period include this in construction of the sea outfall. is limited as much as possible. the contract Marking the perimeter of the work area document. to ensure that workers don't damage unnecessary areas. If possible, transplant significant live corals colonies that can be rescued to
Page 57
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Activity / Stage Potential Impacts Mitigation measures Cost of Mitigation another area of the reef. Use manual methods, rather than using excavators to lay and join the pipe. Create awareness and brief the workforce on how to minimize impacts on corals. Minimize sedimentation and siltation on reef by using silt screens or other appropriate methods and materials such as sand bags. Work during low tide as much as possible. Complete the work in shortest time period. Do regular inspection to ensure that work is followed and that no unnecessary damage is done to the reef. Operational period
Impacts on the terrestrial environment
Page 58
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Activity / Stage Potential Impacts Mitigation measures Cost of Mitigation Energy use and Contribution of greenhouse gases through the emissions Greenhouse gas emissions can be Cost reductions air quality of gases from the resulting increase in power reduced by reducing or maintaining the methods will consumption. The increased energy demand for the operation more efficiently. This can be need to be operation of sewage pumps will contribute to CO2 achieved through regular monitoring of followed during emissions. This impact is considered as an indirect waste water discharge to understand the the operation impact, minor and cumulative, although it is expected peak demand periods both during the period. that its operations would contribute very little towards day and during the. Automatic detectors the national emissions of greenhouse gases. will be controlling the pumps so that they run intermittently as an when required.
Ground water It is expected that the bacteriological quality of the Regular inspection and cleaning of the See below. ground water will improve whereas the salinity of the catch pits is also essential in preventing groundwater will also likely to get better when the future leaks to ground water. proposed sewerage network is fully implemented. The The repair and replacement of the main reason behind this is that with the construction of existing private pipe network must be a sewerage system, potential leaks to the groundwater done by an experienced contractor and will be prevented. the client should inspect and monitor Nevertheless, the groundwater salinization will still not the project using an independent be solved if appropriate measures to recharge consultant to ensure that the work is groundwater are not taken at community level. As no carried according to the plans and water will be recycled, the only potential for environmentally acceptable manner. groundwater recharge will be through rain, which has to Community must enhance the capability be taken in to consideration. of groundwater recharge as much as possible through facilitating this. Some of these includes directing storm water to streets rather than in to the sewers. Other measures include utilizing large empty areas such as soccer grounds to recharge groundwater during rain. In
Page 59
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Activity / Stage Potential Impacts Mitigation measures Cost of Mitigation addition, reducing wastage of water is also a crucial element in recharging and maintaining the freshness of the groundwater.
Ground water There is also the possibility of groundwater Proper construction and inspection Annual contamination through possible leakage from pipes and before commissioning the system. maintenance pumping station, which can occur if the system is not Additionally, regular inspection of the cost includes full maintained properly. catch pits, for leaks from the network time hired staff. and pumping stations to be done. It is expected to Inspection chambers or catch pits to be have2 full time checked regularly and solids removed staff for regular periodically. maintenance at a monthly salary of 7000 to 8000 rufiyaa.
Page 60
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Activity / Stage Potential Impacts Mitigation measures Cost of Mitigation Foul odor During the operation phase, sewers and pumping Mitigation measures include: (i) Cost of stations are potential sources of foul odors that can be a isolation of the pumping stations in mitigation is nuisance to the island. non-residential areas as much as included in the possible (ii) enclosing of pumping pump station stations, (iii) provision of odor design. scrubbing facilities, and (iv) Planting, re-vegetating and landscaping the pump station area (v) Regular maintenance of pump station (vi) Having appropriate and adequate spares in case the pump station breaks and to ensure that it keeps running without disrupting the operation. Corrosive and Corrosive and toxic gases and liquids may accumulate Mitigation measures shall include: (i) toxic gases in sewers and result in sewer structural damage and inspection and regular maintenance of leakage from the sewers, as well as danger to human sewer system; (ii) reasonable spacing life. pump stations to allow access and inspections; (iii) ventilation of sewers for dispersion of gas to minimize the risks; and (iv) implementing emergency response plans. Operation and Lack of maintenance of sewer systems can be a major The client should ensure that financial maintenance hazard to the environment. Proper maintenance is provisions to operate and manage the required to ensure that sewers, manholes, and pump system is made available to operate and station is maintained without creating and maintain. In addition, environmental environmental risk. monitoring components should be implemented to ensure that the system is performing as planned.
Page 61
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Activity / Stage Potential Impacts Mitigation measures Cost of Mitigation Noise Noise from operation of the pumping station will lead to Mitigation measures shall include: (i) adverse impacts on the surrounding areas. Noise from noise enclosures or buffers, (iv) semi pump stations will not be an issue as noise reduction underground setting of pump stations, pumps will be in place. Nevertheless, the mitigation and (v) Use of submersible pumps. measures are proposed.
Pump failures Impacts on the environment can be felt if the pumps fail Preventive measures will include (i) and result in adverse impacts particularly during rainy installing standby equipment to provide season. extra capacity, (ii) performing routine maintenance to increase equipment performance, (iii) using a dual power supply system and emergency power generators for pumps, (iv) implementing a proper maintenance program and (v) enhancing operational monitoring. Groundwater Improvement of the bacteriological quality of ground Regular maintenance of the system and water when wastewater is discharged in to the ocean. also undertaking regular groundwater Hence the potential for groundwater contamination quality monitoring to ensure that water from sewage is eliminated and minimized. Better quality standards are kept in check. ground water quality free from bacteriological contamination is the ultimate result. Groundwater Increased salinization of groundwater resulting from the Ground water recharging by using increased frequency of flushing toilets and other use. treated wastewater is a practice that can All the water that goes in to the sewerage system is have positive impacts but also has the therefore disposed out of the island. This may increase potential to have negative impacts if the rate of groundwater salinization is appropriate treated water does not meet the required measures are not taken. standards. In the Maldives, the experience of recycling grey water has so far not proved to improve the
Page 62
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Activity / Stage Potential Impacts Mitigation measures Cost of Mitigation groundwater quality and data is lacking on this. Hence, promoting groundwater recharge can be undertaken by several means such as; directing storm water in to the streets rather than the sewerage system; utilizing and leaving empty large areas such as football grounds to recharge the storm water; minimizing water wastage. Impacts on the marine environment
Marine Impacts from disposing the wastewater will have both The best possible measure is to ensure environment benefits and negative consequences to the coral reef and that wastewater is at least primarily the surrounding environment. This is thus going to be treated before discharging to reduce the both positive and negative impact. Positive impact will be felt through elimination of Ensure that the discharge wastewater wastewater discharge to the near shore environment. conforms to the EPA guidelines on When raw sewage is disposed to the near shore disposing to the marine environment. environment, it promotes eutrophication caused by nutrient loading. This promotes algal growth and also reduces the fish productivity. On the other hand, when sewage is discharged in to the open sea, there is a very high degree of dilution and avoids the pollution and contamination of the near shore environment. However, the discharge of raw sewage in to the open sea and how it affects the environment is unclear and needs more research. IF sewage does not contain industrial wastes and chemicals, the natural dilution will breakdown the polluting properties of the
Page 63
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Activity / Stage Potential Impacts Mitigation measures Cost of Mitigation wastewater. Dilution is one of the key methods of reducing BOD in treatment plants as well.
Marine water Marine water quality is not likely to be impacted The wastewater from the island will be quality significantly as wastewater will be disposed to the deep discharged into the ocean. The location sea beyond the reef. Considering the large dilution of the existing outfall is ideal for potential in combination with the effect from saltwater, maximum dispersion and dilution as the most pathogens and nutrients will be dispersed and currents flow both east to west and vice diluted, though one might assume long term impact, but versa during both tides. Disposal in to not with huge impacts on the marine biota. The baseline the deep ocean will ensure that data have indicated that bacterial loads are zero around maximum dilution takes place. the edge of the reef, along the proposed discharge area.
Marine water Possible eutrophication of water around coral reef and Effluent disposal from the outfall will quality lagoon from leaks in the outfall. This may lead to be to the open sea. proliferation of sea grass in the lagoon bed resulting in Regular inspection of the outfall should changes in hydrology and thus alteration of natural be taken to ensure that leaks don’t occur sediment transportation patterns around the island. This to the lagoon. may ultimately lead to beach erosion if the growth of Regular water quality from end of the seagrass close to the shore is extensive. Ecology of the outfall location to assess the water lagoon could also be changed from a heterotrophic quality changes in the marine condition to more phototrophic condition thus fish environment. population in the lagoon may also be altered to more Regular underwater photos of the grazing fish population. outfall to be taken as part of the monitoring to assess the outfall and maintenance requirements. Regular photos and surveys from the disposal areas need to be properly
Page 64
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Activity / Stage Potential Impacts Mitigation measures Cost of Mitigation documented. Marine Nutrient enrichment in the coral reef environment is Impacts of the operation of the environment more detrimental to coral reef and its ecology in terms proposed sewerage system can only be of coral growth, diversity and reef benthic communities. assessed through long-term monitoring It could increase growth algae in the reef substrate and of the marine environment of the compete for the coral. Excessive nutrients would trigger locality of the outfall and in the whole population explosion of algae thus light penetration may marine environment of the island. be reduced resulting in poor coral growth and especially Therefore the monitoring programme recovery of the reef if the reef is impacted. given in this document will be followed to assess the operational impacts in order to take necessary mitigation measures to minimize negative impacts that may arise from the operation of the proposed sewerage system.
Impacts on the socio-economic environment Improved Improvement of the well being of the people. With the public health establishment of the system, the groundwater will improve in quality due to reduced pollution of ground water and reducing the incidences of skin diseases.
Improved Improvement to complementary businesses such as quality of life restaurants and hospitality services as a result of improved sanitation will increase the quality of life for the islanders
Page 65
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Activity / Stage Potential Impacts Mitigation measures Cost of Mitigation Awareness Increased awareness on water and sanitation issues. Once the system is in place, the community will become more aware of the net potential benefit of such a system and also the importance of protecting groundwater and of creating and maintaining a healthy unpolluted lagoon and a coral reef.
Page 66
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
1 0 . 6 Impacts on the Environment and their mitigation measures
The following table outlines the matrix of specific impacts and their characterizations.
ct type (NEG or or (NEG type ct
Impact indicator
Impa + POS) (H/M/L)* Significant Direct Indirect # Maginitude (N/M/MA/MoA/MaA) term Short term Long Unavoidable Reversible Irreversible Cumulative Required Mitigation
Environmental impacts during construction phase Transportation and Storage of Construction Materials Neg L x N x x x x Management of Construction Debris Neg L x N x x x x Ground Water pollution Neg L x M x x x Injuries and accidents Neg L x M x x x x Poor quality work Neg M x M x x x x
Increase income to the contractors POS H x x x x x
Environmental impacts during operational phase
Location of pump stations - L x N ------Noise - L x N x x x Energy Consumption Neg H x M x x x x Air Quality Neg L x N x x x x Groundwater (Bacteriological) POS H x MA x x Groundwater (Salinity) Neg L x N x x
Page 67
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
ct type (NEG or or (NEG type ct
Impact indicator
Impa + POS) (H/M/L)* Significant Direct Indirect # Maginitude (N/M/MA/MoA/MaA) term Short term Long Unavoidable Reversible Irreversible Cumulative Required Mitigation Broader environment Neg L x M x x x x Marine Resource Neg L X M X X X X Solid waste Neg H x N x x x Economic impacts Improve environment quality of the island POS H x x x x x x Indirect financial savings POS H x x x x x x
+ POS = positive impacts, NEG= negative impacts * H=high, M=Moderate, L=Low # N=Negligible, M=Minor, MA=Minor Adverse; MoA= Moderate adverse; MaA=Major Adverse
Table 14: Matrix of specific impacts and their characterization
Page 68
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
11 Stakeholder Consultations 1 1 . 1 Environment Protection Agency - EPA
During the scoping meeting, consultations were held with a number of stakeholders. EPA was the lead government agency from which advice and consultation was sort. During the scoping meeting, discussions were centres around the implementation of the project and how the various elements of the design and engineering can be incorporated and implemented in a way to harmonize with the environment. The major issues discussed in the scoping meeting area as follows. The scoping meeting was held on 6th May 2014 at EPA noted the following points: - The project was brief by the consultant. Various details were given including the components of the project and the executing arrangements.
- EPA indicated that the project should be carried out in line with the wastewater guidelines issued by the Environment Ministry.
- Details were given about the various components of the sewerage system from collection to disposal.
- EPA highlighted that the project description should outline clearly the specific components of the project including new installations, work methods and other details.
- EPA requested the consultant to check the water quality from random areas and especially around areas where the pump stations are proposed.
- EPA also requested that water quality monitoring should be included as an integral part of the monitoring work.
- Guidance was also given regarding the baseline parameters and what aspects of data collection to be covered. These include ground water quality, marine assessment and terrestrial assessment if any of the project works require clearing of any vegetation.
- EPA also requested that thorough assessments were needed in and around the sewage outfall. EPA highlighted the importance of describing the project and the project boundary in detail with particular emphasis on the marine environment.
Basically the scoping meeting was a very useful information session as well as to how the EIA data collection and reporting should be performed by the consultant. These discussions and advise were be taken in to consideration when preparing the EIA report.
Page 69
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
1 1 . 2 Discussions with the client
Discussions with the client were held regarding the project and the following is the summary. - MWSC has been awarded the contract to construct and operate the sewerage system in Alifushi by the government of Maldives.
- The project therefore will be undertaken by MWSC and operate for one year after completion. After completion of the one year, the system will be handed to the Island Council who will then have to manage the system.
- During the operation period, MWSC will train people and develop capacity to run the system.
- Various discussions and consultations were held with the island council and initial surveys have also been undertaken to understand the island environment and also to develop the concepts. The most important was finalizing and selecting the locations for the pump stations. Refer to the annex for documents proving the approval of the council regarding the pump station locations.
- There are still landuse issues that need to be sorted in Alifushi as the final network designs cannot be finalized without clearing these issues. These issues are mainly centered around one area in the island where houses are very closely packed and that land demarcation is not taken and is very difficult to undertake.
- The above issue has been on the agenda of the council and they are working with the relevant government agencies to clear this issue.
- Main roads on the island vary in width from 5-8m and the arterial roads vary from 3- 4.5m in width and are sandy roads. Over 75% of the roads are wide enough for vehicles to be able to move through and to carry out the construction works, however few roads are bit narrow hence should be careful while doing the excavation works.
- There are 3 blocks in which, house plots are allocated without any plan and therefore cannot access from any public road or pathway. These blocks covers about ¼ of the island and more than 50 houses can be accessed only through private properties. Island council has made a plan in the past to solve this issue however the owners of those houses rejected to change to a new house plot or to leave 4ft wide area from their property to make a public lane. At present, this issue is being discussed with the government and it is expected that the problem will be solved so that work can be carried out.
Page 70
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
- About 10% of the planned residential area is currently vegetation however council requested to lay pipes in those areas and assured that roads and house plots will be cleared prior to construction stage
1 1 . 3 Consultation with the Ministry of Environment
The project has been developed in consultation with the ministry and they have also issued their approval to the development concept. Refer to Appendix for the approval from Ministry of Environment.
1 1 . 4 Consultation with the Island Council
Consultations were held with the island council on 20th June 2014 at Alifushi Island. Following are the main outcomes of the discussion. In addition to this meeting, consultations were also held with the island council in March 2014 during the initial survey. Refer to the initial survey report attached as an annex which outlines the outcomes of the first consultative meeting. - The council is aware of the fact that the system will be handed to them after operating for one year.
- The locations for all the pump stations have been approved by the council and communicated to the Ministry and the MWSC.
- The council is not too aware of the details of this project, but are well aware that the contract has been awarded to MWSC and that the project will be implemented by MWSC.
- The issue of the 3 blocks in the island has been a pressing issue for the island council as it is very difficult to solve this. This has been caused by the fact that housing plots were not allocated properly from very long time. The council is presently working to solve this issue.
- The council has indicated possible areas for dewatering during the construction period.
- There is an RO Plant which is currently out of operation and an old water distribution network to provide water for several single tap points located at various locations of the island. Electricity service is
- Provided 24 hours by FENAKA Corporation. Cable TV network is also laid in the island and is operating by a Private Party.
Page 71
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll 12 Alternatives
This section looks at alternative ways of undertaking the proposed project. There are two basic options: (1) leave the problem as it is (no project option), or (2) take measures to resolve the problem (undertake the project option). If the project were to continue, it would be necessary to take economic, ecological and environmental aspects of the project into consideration and ensure that these concerns exist within a delicate balance. Neither the economic benefits nor the environmental and ecological concerns can be avoided. Therefore, it is important to consider all options and ensure that the best available option(s) is chosen to solve the issues/problems.
A single activity can bear effects on a considerable number of key components determining a range of closely interconnected impacts. The relative importance of each of these beneficial and detrimental impacts has to be evaluated in the context of a set of alternative options. The effectiveness of an EIA process depends on the successful identification of these alternatives. We can then aim at minimising negative impacts and maximising positive ones acting on specific activities through selection of best alternative options and / or mitigation measures.
1 2 . 1 No Project Option
It should be noted that the “no project” option cannot be excluded without proper evaluation. Direct benefits from the project implementation include establishment of an appropriate wastewater collection and disposal system that will benefit the community in many ways. The project will improve the environmental value of the island, have economic benefits and promote sustainable development. Without this project, large amounts of wastewater needs to be continuously discharged in to the near shore environment without having the opportunity to prevent pollution. In addition, the ground water contamination will continue to further exacerbate. In this report this alternative was considered as the baseline against which to evaluate the other various options.
Hence, the no project option takes the following into account. The existing sanitation system in the island (septic tanks and private sewers) continues to operate with its current shortcomings. No additional measures or upgrading are proposed. The community will continue to face the ongoing difficulties due to present issues in the system, most notably the contamination of the groundwater.
The main advantages and disadvantages of these are given in the following
Page 72
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll table.
Strategy Advantages Disadvantages
Allow the Environmental problems related No upgrading means that the existing to upgrading can be avoided. community will continue to sanitation No upgrading costs to the suffer with the worsening of the system to proponent and hence there is a groundwater. operate short term benefit. Pollution of the groundwater. without Pollution of the near shore installing a lagoon. proper sewage Environmental value of the island collection and cannot be increased. disposal Increased frequency of skin system. diseases. Table 15: Advantages and disadvantages of the no project option
1 2 . 2 Alternative analysis matrix
For this project, an alternative analysis was carried out on the basis of various biophysical and socioeconomic parameters including the following using an analysis matrix: Technical feasibility, Economic viability and Environmental acceptability of the project and Social benefits
Based on the above four factors, an alternative analysis matrix was developed with scores given for each factor from 1 to 5. This analysis provides information about the advantages and disadvantages of each alternative considered with regard to its technical, economic and environmental factors. The purpose of this matrix is to obtain a favourable implementation of alternatives proposed by considering alternatives in terms of site selection, design and operational methods, the project scale and timing of project. The total for all factors gives an overall score for a given alternative. The highest total score provides the most desirable and preferred alternatives and vice versa.
Page 73
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll 1 2 . 3 Alternative sites / l o c a t i o n for seawater o u t f a l l
As the proposed sea outfall is located on the south east side of the island that passes through the boat yard area and the boat yard harbour basin, a second alternative location has been proposed. The presently proposed pathway of the outfall has several disadvantages as it is proposed to be laid through an existing harbour basin. The following diagramme outlines the proposed alternative and the justification for this.
Figure 14: Proposed location of the outfall and a suggested alternative.
1 2 . 4 Alternative Sewerage Systems
In evaluating an alternative to the proposed system, various options are available. These include:
1 2 . 4 . 1 Deep bore disposal
There is also an affordable and appropriate technology that can be applied to reduce risks of marine pollution. This method involves the disposal of effluent in to deep disposal wells in to the salt water strata, below the upper fresh water zone. The well is designed and constructed so as to isolate the upper zone from any risk of contamination from the effluent being disposed of. The depth of well is approximately likely to be 20 to 40 meter, depending on the hydro-geological situation.
The benefits of disposing sewage effluent to the lower zone are a much-reduced
Page 74
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll environmental impact and health risk because of the following. Dispersion and dilution in to a large body of underground water that is very unlikely to come in to contact with man or the near shore environment
Possibility of anaerobic treatment taking place over a significant period of travel time, killing off most of the dangerous contaminants and substantial dentrification before the water flows to the open sea
In islands with large reef systems, the construction of the outfall may require damage to the reef and sometime blasting of hard coral. In such instances, deep disposal wells are extremely practical thought the initial investment may be higher.
Outfalls may be aesthetically unappealing, especially reducing the snorkelling and the recreational value.
Likelihood that if the groundwater does flow to the open sea, then the depths encountered probably mean that it would not enter the open sea until far out from land. This will mean that elevated nutrient levels caused by disposal of sewage to near shore environment will not occur, preventing the marine damage that is evident from the existing systems.
The well can be located at the edge of the island where fresh groundwater is unlikely to exist, and reducing risks even further as the groundwater flow will always be from the center of the island to the sea.
The disadvantage in this type of system though is that drilling deep bore holes require high capital costs. Deep bore hole drilling equipment’s are not available in Maldives which makes it unavailable to implement such a system without increasing the cost. This is also a technology that has never been used in Maldives and therefore lacks experience. It will take few years to prove the effectiveness and the applicability of such a system. This system also provides challenges and difficulty in environmental monitoring. It is practically difficult to monitor the affected environment and involves much more complexity. Thirdly, the deep bores extend up to the saline zone beyond the freshwater lens. This means that valuable water is lost without the opportunity of any water being recycled back in the freshwater aquifer. It will also be a difficult technology to be acceptable for Maldives since the theory behind the system is more complex. Therefore though deep bore wells are an option, it has not been considered for this island.
Page 75
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
1 2 . 4 . 2 Septic tanks
Septic tanks are a common method for small communities and also presently used in the island. Septic tanks is also a good option but with some limitations. Advantages and disadvantages that have been identified include: - May recharge groundwater but deteriorate groundwater quality.
- High cost of septic tank and soakage pit and land availability need to be checked.
- Requires sludge removal by house holders.
Septic tanks are rejected mainly because of the high cost involved. The Ministry of Environment had recommended avoiding septic tanks if possible since septic tanks take a great proportion of the project cost. Also, there has been ownership problems associated with septic tanks and sometimes catch pits within household boundaries for that matter when household plots get divided.
1 2 . 4 . 3 Gravity flow systems without septic tanks
This cannot be considered solely due to its failures in the past. Similar systems have been provided in places such as Naifaru, Hinnavaru and Komandoo in the past and have failed to achieve the objectives. However, gravity flow systems with septic tanks have been seen to be working effectively in some places such as Gulhi and this is the most commonly accepted method of sewage disposal in the Maldives so far. Yet, as explained earlier, these systems have the problems associated with septic tanks described earlier. There are also aesthetic concerns.
1 2 . 4 . 4 Vacuum sewers
These systems have been installed in some islands in the Maldives. The effectiveness of this system is yet to be seen. Vacuum systems have also been rejected based on the cost, which is expected to be higher than the cost of the proposed system. Other disadvantages, as well as advantages of vacuum sewers include; well preserved groundwater quality, suitability for flat land but additional cost of vacuum pumps, cost of holding tanks, unknown technology and limited service support and need full time operator (high O&M cost). The island of Nilandhoo in Faafu atoll is a good example where the vacuum system is having a significant impact from operation and maintenance costs.
1 2 . 4 . 5 G r e y w a ter separation system
A system which separates grey and black water is also suitable and will enable
Page 76
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll recharging of the groundwater if grey water is recycled back in to the aquifer. However, such a system will require additional reticulation system for grey water separation and ultimate discharge. Although grey water is relatively free from contaminants, it has several harmful substances such as phosphates from soap and detergents. These chemicals can be harmful if they are allowed to enter water bodies. Therefore though grey water disposal is an option, it has also to be treated to some stage prior to disposal. These factors make it unattractive as such a system will increase the capital costs of the project. Furthermore, maintenance is also going to be a significant challenge.
1 2 . 5 Preferred Alternative
1 2 . 5 . 1 Secondary Treatment and Effluent Reuse
Secondary Treatment and Effluent Reuse packaged treatment plant is a preferred alternative. This is a treatment system that is capable of secondary treatment to reduce BOD and nutrients to acceptable limits. These kinds of systems have been used in several resorts and in some islands. However, these are small treatment units, which are costly. Alifushi would require larger plants of similar models or if other secondary treatment options were to be considered, adequate space for treatment would be an issue in addition to the cost.
1 2 . 5 . 2 Mitigation Measures for the Preferred Alternative
The following mitigation measures are proposed for this preferred alternative. - create awareness of the public as the fees that may be collected from the households would be higher due to the higher operating cost of the plants
- Develop the minimum required area for the treatment beds or filtration beds by estimating population growth accurately
Page 77
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll 13 Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan 1 3 . 1 Introduction
Environmental monitoring is essential to ensure that potential impacts are minimized and to mitigate unanticipated impacts. Monitoring will be carried out as part of the environmental impact assessment and monitoring requirements addressed in this EIA report. The following table summarizes the aspects of monitoring.
1 3 . 2 Cost of Monitoring
The proponent has committed fully for the monitoring programme outlined in this report. The total cost of undertaking the regular monitoring is estimated in the following table. Cost of monitoring includes all data collection and reporting to the client as well as the relevant government agencies.
1 3 . 3 D u r a t i o n of Monitoring
Monitoring will include marine and other technical aspects only. The proposed scheduled for monitoring has been prepared for 12 months during the construction period as well as annually during the operational stage. During the annual monitoring, some aspects will need to be monitored more frequently during the year. Hence, this schedule will be applicable for monitoring during the construction period and annually during the operational stage after the project. Monitoring will be undertaken by subcontracting the work to an independent consultant or a consulting firm.
1 3 . 4 M e t h o d s of Monitoring
Environmental monitoring will be undertaken using standard methods described in the Methodology section. Monitoring is recommended for marine, coastal and social aspects.
1 3 . 5 Monitoring Responsibility
Monitoring responsibility will be with the client and financial provisions will be made in the project to undertake the monitoring.
1 3 . 6 M o n i t o r i n g R e p o r t
A detailed monitoring report should be compiled after the completion of the civil works. During the construction period, summary monitoring reports must be provided every two months and final report should be provided at the end of the construction stage and should adhere to EIA Regulations, 2012. During the
Page 78
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll operational stage, regular monitoring reports should be provided once every three months. This report will be submitted to the relevant government agencies for compliance. The report will include details of the site, data collection and analysis, quality control measures, sampling frequency and monitoring analysis and details of methodologies and protocols followed.
Page 79
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Page 80
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Cost during Cost Per annum Monitoring Attribute Indicator Methodology Monitoring Frequency (construction (operational phase) phase). Construction Operational stage stage Marine environment Live Coral cover at survey Percentage live Qualitative & - Annually $5,500.00 sites cover Quantitative 1 and 2 Diversity and abundance of Number / Qualitative & - Annually $2,500.00 fish communities at sites 1 percentage of Quantitative and 2 selected fish Marine water quality at pH, DO, temp, Onsite or Lab - Thrice annually $1,500.00 survey site 2 Faecal coliform analysis Terrestrial Environment Ground water quality from EC, Faecal and On site and Lab - Thrice annually $1,200.00 locations identified for Total coliform, analysis monitoring Socio-economic and engineering aspects Volume of wastewater Decrease or Engineering - Annually $200.00 discharged monthly increase in records and logs cases Frequency of pump Decrease or Engineering - Annually $200.00 breakdown increase in records and logs cases Logs of monthly $200.00 maintenance Regular logs of pump Number of Engineering Annually $200.00 operations. employees records and logs Table 16: Schedule for environmental monitoring during the construction period as well as per annum during operation period.
Page 81
EIA for the construction and setup of an island sewerage system in Alifushi, Raa Atoll
Page 82
14 Conclusion
This EIA report is prepared for the construction of a sewerage system in the island of Alifushi in Raa Atoll. The project will be implemented by MWSC.
Environmental impacts of the project would occur during the construction stage and the operational stage. At the construction stage, excavations and dewatering to lay the pipes and the construction of pumping stations would be the main activities resulting in environmental impacts. Excavations include both land excavations and excavations of the lagoon and reef bottom to lay the outfall pipes. However, excavations of the lagoon and reef substrate would be minimal since the outfall pipe would not require strict gradients. Dewatering has been identified as the most important aspect by the client and community and is considered in the design of the sewerage system.
Dewatering is a temporary and short-lived impact and given the current abstraction rates, there will be no particular concerns. Dewatering for the construction of pumping stations is not expected to affect the groundwater lens of the island.
At the operational phase, impacts of energy requirements for pumping, pollution of groundwater and nearshore marine environment due to leaking sewers and outfall pipes, and most importantly groundwater pumping for increased toilet flushing would be the main environmental concerns. There is also the potential for faecal matter to flow towards the shore with the tides and currents. However, experience with the outfalls that had been laid in other island, it is confident that the proposed location will not favour the contaminant to be washed on to the lagoon or beach even under worst case scenarios.
The increased abstraction of groundwater for toilet flushing would be a cumulative impact which would arise. The most severe impact of sewerage system on the island is increased abstraction of groundwater from the aquifer. This will cause greater salinization of the groundwater lens.
The benefits of the project (including positive environmental impacts) far outweigh the minor to moderate negative impacts of the project identified. These include the economic benefits of improved groundwater quality and improved health over the investment for the sewerage system. In addition, the space constraints levied by existing sewage disposal systems on individual house plots would also be an advantage.
The proposed project work will need to be closely monitored by the Ministry of
Page 83
Environment in consultation with atoll and island councils. As the success of such projects can only be undertaken with proper monitoring, it is strongly encouraged to undertake the monitoring programme outlined in this report. The monitoring programme has been focused for marine environment and most importantly social environment. Monitoring during the construction stage has also been suggested.
Several alternatives for the proposed project have been identified and they are discussed in detail. The report highlights this as the preferred alternative and what mitigation measures need to be followed if the preferred alternative is to be implemented. Disposal of untreated wastewater to the deep ocean is not the best option but it has to be compared with the associated cost of providing treatment, on- going maintenance, condition of the receiving environment and sustainability of such a system and its suitability to the island environment. In light of this assessment, the proposed project has been found to have more positive than negative impacts, both environmentally and socially. The biggest fear of this system is the pollution of the marine environment and pollution of the groundwater from lack of maintenance of the system. The disposal of wastewater will be undertaken in deep sea where currents will dilute and breakdown the wastewater, leaving very little opportunity for marine water pollution. It is therefore crucial for the proponent to manage the project in consultation and assistance with other stakeholders if the environmental impacts are to be minimized.
Page 84
15 Recommendations
Following are some of the recommendations based on this EIA assessment.
1- At present, the proposed location of the outfall is to lay the pipe from inside the harbour of the boat yard located on the south-east side of the island. However, this should not be laid from inside the harbour of the boat yard. Having the outfall run through the harbour poses significant risk of damage from boats and unintended damage. Any damage to the outfall risks secondary pollution of the harbour and also its rehabilitation and repair will be difficult and time consuming. Therefore, it is important to avoid this as shown in the following figure.
Figure 15: Alternative locations for sea outfall
2- There are 3 blocks in which, house plots are allocated without any plan and therefore cannot access from any public road or pathway. These blocks covers about ¼ of the island and more than 50 houses can be accessed only through private properties. Island council has made a plan in the past to solve this issue however the owners of those houses rejected to change to a new house plot or to leave 4ft wide area from their property to make a public lane. The council must solve the land parcel issues faced in the most congested housing areas as pipes cannot be laid until this issue is solved. The council must ensure that local consent is sort before undertaking this project.
Page 85
3- Relocation of the proposed sea outfall to avoid its passage through the harbour on the south-east side. This requires slight adjustment in the final location of the pumping station. A proposed location indicated by the island council is illustrated in the existing terrestrial environment section of the report.
4- During the consultative process, many islanders indicated their willingness to pay for a user fee for maintenance. However, it is not clear how much fees will be levied on individual households. After one year of operations, the system will be handed to the island council who will then decide about an operator. Therefore the council must ensure that adequate training is undertaken for local staff when it takes over from MWSC after one year.
5- More awareness and training of community members need to be undertaken during the project implementation to recruit locals that can be employed in the project operation once completed. Training is also essential to ensure that adequate capacity is developed in the island by the time the system is handed to the island council for operation and running after one year.
Page 86
16 Acknowledgements
Various people have assisted the consulting team in preparing this report, name and their designations are listed below. CV’s of the field assistants are attached as an annex. Water Solutions would like to thank their support and assistance provided in completion of this report. 1- Mr. Ahmed Jameel, EIA consultant
2- Mr. Faruhath Jameel, Chief Surveyour, Water Solutions.
3- Hamdhulla Shakeeb, Surveying Assistant, Water Solutions.
4- MWSC
5- Alifushi Island Council
6- Water Solutions staff
Page 87
17 Reference Books and Sources
Department of National Planning. (2009). Statistical Year Book. Male: DNP.
Falkland, T. (2000). Report on Groundwater Investigations, . Male': Ministry of Atolls Administration.
Hoepner, T. (1999). A Procedure for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Seawater Desalination Plants. Desalination, vol.124, pp. 1-12.
Jameel, A. (2007). Developing a Disaster Profile for Maldives, A thesis for the Masters Degree. Chirstchurch, New Zealand: University of Cantebury.
Ministry of Planning and National Development. (2006). Analytical Report of Population and Housing Census. Male': Ministry of Planning and National Development.
UNEP, M. o. (n.d.). State of the Environment Report . Maldives: UNEP2002.
Water Solutions Pvt Ltd. (2006). EIA for the development of Sewerage system in Nilandhoo Faafu Atoll. Male': Water Solutions Pvt Ltd.
Water Solutions Pvt.Ltd. (2006). EIA for the development of a resort in Kalhufahalafushi in Thaa Atoll. Male': Water Solutions Pvt.Ltd.
Water Solutions Pvt.Ltd. (2012). EIA of Harbour development and rehabilitation in Maavah island, Laamu Toll. Male': Water Solutions.
Page 88
18 Annex: Terms of reference
19 Annex: Initial survey report and details of community consultations
Survey Report
Initial Survey
Design and Build Basis For Sewage Collection Network, Sewage Pumping Stations and Sea Outfall Pumping Station and Allied Works in the Island of R.Alifushi
FEBRUARY 2014 [INITIAL SURVEY FOR THE SEWERAGE PROJECT IN R.ALIFUSHI] February 24, 2014
Project: Initial Survey
Design and Build Basis For Sewage Collection Network, Sewage Pumping Stations and Sea Outfall Pumping Station and Allied Works in the Island of R.Alifushi
Date: 17th February – 20th February 2014
Introduction Alifushi is located in Raa Atoll at 5°58’02”N and 72°57’11” E and the land area is 59.47Ha. The island is situated at about 207Km from capital Male’ and 89Km from the closest Airport, Hanimaadhoo. Alifushi is the northern most island of Raa atoll.
Registered population of the island is 2,631 and the actual population is believed to be 1,130.
Boat building is the main economic activity while involvement in fishing and fish processing is on increase.
There are 626 registered house plots out of which 276 houses are unoccupied.
Page 1
[INITIAL SURVEY FOR THE SEWERAGE PROJECT IN R.ALIFUSHI] February 24, 2014
The main infrastructure on the island include Residential Buildings, Government Institutions, a Health Center, 02 Schools, 06 Mosques, a Power House and so on.
There is an RO Plant which is currently out of operation and an old water distribution network to provide water for several single tap points located at various locations of the island. Electricity service is provided 24 hours by FENAKA Corporation. Cable TV network is also laid in the island and is operating by a Private Party.
Scope: Discuss with the council regarding the area in which sewerage services need to be provided and the status of existing underground networks.
. Verification survey to ensure the accuracy of the available map of the island. . Leveling survey to generate the ground profile of the island. . Forecast/Identify on difficulties that may arise during the construction phase.
Works done: Day 1 : Left Male’ at 07:15
Arrived Alifushi at 11:15
Held a meeting with island Council.
Site visit to plan the survey.
Day 2 : Carried out the level survey
Day 3 : Carried out the level survey
Day 4 : Briefing to Council members regarding the works done.
Departed from Alifushi at 12:30
Page 2
[INITIAL SURVEY FOR THE SEWERAGE PROJECT IN R.ALIFUSHI] February 24, 2014
Findings:
. Main roads on the island vary in width from 5-8m and the arterial roads vary from 3-4.5m in width and are sandy roads. Over 75% of the roads are wide enough for vehicles to be able to move through and to carry out the construction works, however few roads are bit narrow hence should be careful while doing the excavation works.
. There are 3 blocks in which, house plots are allocated without any plan and therefore cannot access from any public road or pathway. These blocks covers about ¼ of the island and more than 50 houses can be accessed only through private properties. Island council has made a plan in the past to solve this issue however the owners of those houses rejected to change to a new house plot or to leave 4ft wide area from their property to make a public lane.
. Water lens of the island lies between 3ft to 6ft.
. There is an old water distribution network at some areas to supply RO desalinated water to single tap points at different locations in the island.
. Electricity Upgrading Project is currently on-going and sufficient amount of power to run the Sewage pups stations can be generated upon completion of this project.
. About 10% of the planned residential area is currently vegetation however council requested to lay pipes in those areas and assured that roads and house plots will be cleared prior to construction stage.
Public Services in the island:
Service Service Provider Contact Person Cable TV --- Ibrahim Riyaz (In-charge) 9966776
Communication Dhiraagu Hassan Seedhi 7763183
Electricity FENAKA Mohamed Hassan 9994323 Corporation
. All types of cables can be repaired by the service providers and a rate is not yet fixed for such works.
. A level survey was done in approximately 16Km distance and it was observed that the ground is fairly flat with an average height above mean sea level of around 1.5m.
• Mobile banking team visits the island monthly.
• Cargo vessels operate between Male’ and Raa atoll in a weekly schedule.
Page 3
[INITIAL SURVEY FOR THE SEWERAGE PROJECT IN R.ALIFUSHI] February 24, 2014
• As-built drawings of existing water distribution network is not available.
One of the narrow roads in the island Main road of the island
One of the lands allocated for Pump Stations One of the lands allocated for Pump Stations
Location of Bench Mark 1 Bench Mark 2
Page 4
[INITIAL SURVEY FOR THE SEWERAGE PROJECT IN R.ALIFUSHI] February 24, 2014
Beach of Proposed sea outfall location Alternative location for sea outfall
Most appropriate route for sea outfall Cluster of Houses without access to main roads
Access to more than 10 houses are through this plot Future residential area; currently vegetation
Report Prepared by: Mohamed Adam Engineer, Planning
24th February 2014
Page 5
20 Annex: CV’s of unregistered consultants
Curriculum Vitae of Surveyor
1. PROPOSED POSITION : Surveyor
2. NAME : Hamdhulla Shakeeb
3. CONTACT DETAILS G. Nanfasuvi ge Daisy Magu Male’ Maldives Mobile:+(960) 7567075
th 4. DATE OF BIRTH : 26 Feb 1988
5. NATIONALITY : Maldivian
6. EDUCATION : General Certificate of Education (GCE) Ordinary Level Cambridge University, 2005 General Certificate of Education (GCE) Advanced Level Cambridge University, 2008 Certificate in Surveying, University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, 2009
7. OTHER TRAINING : PADI Open Water Diver Reef Check Eco Diver Program Leica GNSS & LGO Training Program Advance Certificate in Computing
8. LANGUAGE & DEGREE OF Speaking Writing Reading PROFICIENCY : English Excellent Excellent Excellent Dhivehi Mother tongue Mother tongue Mother tongue
9. MEMBERSHIP IN PROFESSIONAL SOCIETIES : -
10. COUNTRIES OF WORK : Maldives & Sri Lanka EXPERIENCE
11. EMPLOYMENT RECORD :
FROM: 1st August 2008 To: Present EMPLOYER Water Solutions Pvt Ltd POSITION HELD AND Surveyor DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES Undertake field surveys required for environmental studies, development and monitoring. Produce CAD drawings of completed surveys and other drawings required for environment and sewerage projects
Page (1) PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Project Name : Setting out all Structures in L.Olhuveli Client : Evason Laamu Financing: Period : 2008 Time Spent: 2 months Position Held : Assistant Surveyor Duties : Setting out of water villas
Project Name : Bathymetric Survey of K.Summer Island Client : Summer island Financing: Period : 2008 Time Spent: 2 days Position Held : Assistant Surveyor Duties : Bathymetric Survey
Project Name : EIA Survey - redevelopment of in K.Giraavaru Client : TBI Period : 2008 Time Spent: 1 day Position Held : Assistant Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : EIA for Coastal Protection of Embudu Village Client : Embudu Village Period : 2008 Time Spent: 2 days Position Held : Assistant Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : Topographic Survey – Redevelopment of Bolifushi Resort Client : Jumeirah Maldives Period : 2008 Time Spent: 2 Weeks Position Held : Assistant Surveyor Duties : Mapping the Existing structures
Project Name : Environmental Monitoring B.Muhdhoo Client : Coastline Group Period : 2008 Time Spent: 1 week Position Held : Assistant Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : K. Thulusdhoo Huraagadu Client : Island Community Period : 2009 Time Spent: 1 week Position Held : Assistant Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : Topographic survey of Bolifufushi Resort Client : Eon Resorts Period : 2009 Time Spent: 5 months Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Setting Out the all the strucures
Project Name : AA. Moofushi Client : Constance Hotels Period : 2009 Time Spent: 1 day Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Page (2) Project Name : Gdh. Madaveli Land Reclamation EIA Client : MHTE Period : 2009 Time Spent: 1 week Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : Ghd. Hoadehdhoo Land Reclamation EIA Client : MHTE Period : 2009 Time Spent: 1 week Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : Environmental Monitoring of Gdh.Meradhoo Client : Jumeirah Maldives Financing: Period : 2009 Time Spent: 2 days Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : Topographic Survey of Lh.Felivaru Client : Northern Province Office Financing: Period : 2009 Time Spent: 1 month Position Held : Surveyor Dties : Mapping the structures
Project Name : Topographic Survey of Sonevafushi Client : Sonevafushi Financing: Period : 2010 Time Spent: 1 day Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Mapping the structures
Project Name : Topographic and Bathymetric Survey of K.Baros Client : Baros Financing: Period : 2010 Time Spent: 1 day Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Collecting depths and mapping the island
Project Name : Coral Planting in K.Boduhithi Client : Sunland Financing: Period : 2010 Time Spent: 3 days Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Coral Planting
Project Name : EIA Survey of K.Summer Island Client : Summer Island Period : 2010 Time Spent: 2 day Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : EIA Survey of Conventional Centre in Addu City Client : MHE Financing: Period : 2010 Time Spent: 2 days Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : EIA Survey of Maradhoo Football Ground Client : - Financing: Period : 2010 Time Spent: 1 day Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Page (3) Project Name : EIA Survey of Halaveli Client : Halaveli Period : 2011 Time Spent: 2 Weeks Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : Environmental Monitoring of AA.Nika Island Client : Nika Island Financing: Period : 2011 Time Spent: 1 day Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : EIA Survey of Nolhivaramfaru Client : MHE Period : 2011 Time Spent: 1 day Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : EIA survey of Sh.Vagaru Client : Viceroy Maldives Period : 2011 Time Spent: 1 day Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : EIA survey of Bandos Island Resort Client : Bandos Financing: Period : 2011 Time Spent: 1 day Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report Project Name : EIA survey of AA.Maafushivaru Client : Maafushivaru Financing: Period : 2011 Time Spent: 1 day Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : Topographic Survey of Evasaon Laamu Olhuveli Client : Evason Laamu Financing: Period : 2011 Time Spent: 2 Weeks Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Mapping Existing Beach Villas and corrected the map Project Name : EIA Survey of Hulhumale’ Marina Client : HDC Financing: Period : 2011 Time Spent: 1 day Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : EIA Survey of Ha.Kela Sewerage project Client : DCP Financing: Period : 2011 Time Spent: 2 day Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : EIA Survey of Fihaalhohi Client : Fihaalhohi Financing: Period : 2011 Time Spent: 1 day Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : Topographic Survey of K.Summer Island : Field data collected for the EIA report Client : MOOKAI Financing: Period : 2011 Time Spent: 1 day Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Setting out of breakwaters and reclaim area
Page (4) Project Name : EIA Survey of Summer Island Client : MOOKAI Financing: Period : 2011 Time Spent: 1 day Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : EIA Survey of Equator Village (Addu city) Client : MOOKAI Financing: Period : 2011 Time Spent: 2 days Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : EIA Survey of F.Bilehdhoo Harbour Client : MTCC Financing: Period : 2011 Time Spent: 2 days Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : Bathymetric Survey of Gdh.Thinadhoo Harbour Client : AKDA International Financing: Period : 2011 Time Spent: 2 days Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collection for Bathymetry. This Bar calibration, GPS Setup and echo-sounder operation during data collection
Project Name : Environmental Monitoring of 8 Islands Client : MHE Financing: Period : 2011 Time Spent: 4 weeks Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collection for the EIA report
Project Name : Environmental Monitoring of Ippantiv Island(Sri Lanka) Client : Qube Lanka Lesiure Properties Pvt Ltd Financing: Period : 2011 Time Spent: 2 day Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : EIA Survey of Sh.Mathi-Komandoo Channel Dredging Client : Financing: Period : 2011 Time Spent: 2 day Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
Project Name : EIA Survey of Hdh.Kuldhuffushi Port Extentsion Client : Kulhudhuffushi Port Financing: Period : 2011 Time Spent: 2 day Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Field data collected for the EIA report
CERTIFICATION:
I, THE UNDERSIGNED, confirm that:
(i) To the best of my knowledge, this CV correctly describes myself, my qualifications, and my experience (ii) I have given my full consent to be included in this Proposal (iii) I am available for the assignment as indicated/scheduled in this Proposal.
Hamdhulla Shakeeb
Page (5) 1. PROPOSED POSITION Chief Surveyor : 2. NAME : Faruhath Jameel (A-114299)
3. DATE OF BIRTH : 28 September 1984
4. CITIZENSHIP : Maldivian
5. PERSONAL ADDRESS : Ma. Naares, Zamaeenee Goalhi, Malé, Maldives MOBILE NO. : +(960)7904667 E-MAIL ADDRESS : [email protected] 6. EDUCATION : Bachelor of Science in Surveying and Mapping Sciences (with First Class Honours) From Sep 2008 to June 2011, University of East London , United Kingdom,
London GCE Advance level, Centre for Higher Secondary Education From June 2003- June 2005 Maldives.
7. Membership in Professional Student Member of Royal institute for charted Surveyors (RICS) Societies Student Member of Charted institute for Civil Engineering Surveyors (CICES)
Registered Practitioners in the National Building Practitioners Registry at MHE, under Land and Hydrographic Surveying. Registration number BP02406
7. OTHER TRAINING : Training in the use of the Trimble GPS in 2007 DHI Training in MIKE21 classic and flexible Mesh in 2008 ArcGIS desktop 2009, training in 2009 Padi Certified open water diver
8. LANGUAGE & DEGREE OF Speaking Writing Reading PROFICIENCY : English Excellent Excellent Excellent Dhivehi Mother tongue Mother tongue Mother tongue
10. COUNTRIES OF WORK : Maldives , Sri Lanka and UK EXPERIENCE
11. EMPLOYMENT RECORD :
FROM: October 2005 TO : January 2007 EMPLOYER Water Solutions Private Limited POSITION HELD AND Assistant Surveyor DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES Undertake field surveys required for environmental studies, development and monitoring. Produce CAD drawings of completed surveys and other drawings required for environment and sewerage projects
FROM: January 2007 TO : August 2008 EMPLOYER Water Solutions Private Limited POSITION HELD AND Surveyor DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES Conduct and organize surveys required for environmental studies, topographic, mapping, engineering surveys, development and monitoring. Produce CAD drawings of completed surveys and other drawings required for projects.
Page (1) September 2011 FROM: January 2011 Present EMPLOYER Water Solutions Private Limited POSITION HELD AND Chief Surveyor DESCRIPTION OF DUTIES Over responsible for conducting and organize surveys required for environmental studies, landuse planning, engineering surveys, topographic surveys, monitoring application. Liaison with clients with all surveying projects Development of in-house surveying standards and adopting best practices. Training staff for the use of new surveying software and GIS Job of costing of all surveying and engineering projects.
12. RELEVANT WORK EXPERIENCE
Project Name : Kanbaalifaru Island Resort Development Client : Fonadoo Tuna Products Pvt Period : 2006 Time Spent: 1 Week Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Topographic and bathymetric survey of Kabaalifaru island. Island extent lines, mangroves and vegetation were surveyed using GPS and Total Station. Survey drawings were produced in AutoCAD format..
Project Name : Atolls Water and Sanitation Project Client : Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water (Maldives) Period : December 2006 Time Spent: 2 Weeks Position Held : Assistant Surveyor Duties : Conduct Bathymetry and Island extent survey of Dhidhdhoo island. Drawings of these surveys have to be produced in AutoCAD format .
Project Name : Ha. Hondaafushi Resort Development Client : V.A Pvt Ltd Period : 2006 Time Spent: 1 Week Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Tree Survey. locating all significant tree in the island.
Project Name : Sh.Dholhiyadhoo Resort Development Client : V.A Pvt Ltd Period : 2006 Time Spent: 1 Week Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Bathymetry Survey
Project Name : Soneva Gili Island resort Development Client : Six Senses & Spa Period : 2006 Time Spent: 1 Week Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Tree Survey
Project Name : Ha.Naridhoo Development Client : TBI Period : 2006 Time Spent: 2 Weeks Position Held : Assistant Surveyor Duties : Topographic and hydrographic Survey
Page (2) September 2011 Project Name : Lily Beach Island Resort Ari Atoll Client : Lily Hotels Period : 2007 Time Spent: 1 Week Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Topographic and Bathymetric Survey
Project Name : Atoll Ecosystem Conservation Project, Baa Atoll Client : Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water (Maldives) Period : April - May 2007 Time Spent: 2 Months Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Conducted landuse mapping surveys in the 13 inhabited islands of the Maldives. Drawings of these surveys have to be produced in AutoCAD format.
Project Name : Sonenafushi Topographic Mapping Client : Sixsences and Spa Period : June 2007 Time Spent: 1 Months Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Executed the Bathymetry and island extent surveys using mainly DGPS and Total Station. Drawings of this survey have to be produced in AutoCAD format
Project Name : Hudhufushi Island resort Development Client : TBI Maldives Period : July 2007 Time Spent: 1 Month Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Topographic and bathymetry Survey. Mapping all existing structure, island Extends, Mangroves, trees and bathymetry around the Island. Final Drawings of this survey was produced in AutoCAD format
Project Name : Gh.Meradhoo Island Resort Development Client : Zandoo Holdings Period : August 2007 Time Spent: 2 Months Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Setting out all Structures in the island and in water.
Project Name : Dhonveli Beach & Spa Island Resort Developmentl Client : John Keells Period : July 2007 Time Spent: 1 Week Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Bathymetry Survey within the reef for the coastal protection works.
Project Name : Hakuraa Huraa Island Resort Meemu Atollh Client : Chaayaa Lagoon Period : 2007 Time Spent: 1 Week Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Topographic and Bathymetric mapping Survey
Project Name : Gh.Meradhoo Island Resort Development Client : Xandu holdings Period : 2007 Time Spent: 2 months Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Bathymetry of the nearby reef . Which was the area where the luxury Water villas was to develop.
Project Name : Laamu Olhuveli Island Resort Client : Evason Period : 2008 Time Spent: 4 Months Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Setting out all Structures land and water Structures.
Page (3) September 2011 Project Name : Bolifushi Island resort Client : EON resorts Period : 2008 Time Spent: 1 week Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Topographic survey of the whole island.
Project Name : Mahchafushi Island resort Client : Mr Ismail Hilmy Period : 2008 Time Spent: 1 week Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Bathymetry survey of the whole reef system
Project Name : Baa. Dhravandhoo Island Client : Coastline Investments Period : 2008 Time Spent: 1 week Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Topographic and Bathymetry survey of the whole island.
Project Name : Thulhaagiri Island resort Client : Happy Market Period : 2008 Time Spent: 1 week Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Bathymetric survey of the whole reef system
Project Name : Ha. Alidhoo Coastal Protection Project Client : John keels Period : 2008 Time Spent: 7 months Position Held : Project Manager Duties : Over all responsible for the work on site and completing the breakwater on time and position the break water in near real time using optics and GPS methods of surveys .
Project Name : Bolifushi Reclamations and Coastal protection Client : Jumiera Maldives Period : June – September 2009 Time Spent: 4 months Position Held : Project Manager Duties : Responsible for overall project coordination and reclamation boundary control, quality control and setting out of all proposed structures.
Project Name : Thiandhoo Bathymetric Survey Client : AKDA Period : August 2011 Time Spent: 4 days Position Held : Surveyor Dutie : Out Survey of thinadhoo harbour and channel area for volume computation and documentation. Final results were produce using Arcgis
Project Name : Summer Island Resort Client : Mookai Group Period : August 2011 Time Spent: 1 week Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Setting out of new proposed Breakwaters and other coastal defence stuctures.
Page (4) September 2011 Project Name : Bathymetic Survey of Ippantivu Island, Kalpitiya, Sri Lanka Client : Qube Corporation Period : September 2011 Time Spent: 4 days Position Held : Surveyor Duties : Responsible of conducting bathymetric survey of the additional areas requested by the client. Main duties were data collation, calibration, processing and plotting of all bathymetric data. The final drawing was produced using ArcGIS and autocad.
13. CERTIFICATION:
I, confirm that: (i) To the best of my knowledge, this CV correctly describes myself, my qualifications, and my experience (ii) I have given my full consent to be included in this Proposal (iii) I am available for the assignment as indicated/scheduled in this Proposal.
Faruhath Jameel
Page (5) September 2011
21 Annex: Methodologies used
1 . 1 Introduction
The annex describes detail methodologies used to collect data on the existing environment for EIA studies in the Maldives. For EIA studies in the Maldives, various methodologies are used and the type and methods vary for different projects. Almost all projects will utilize some general data collection methodologies in combination of various other methods. The following section outlines the data collection methodologies that are used in Maldives and their description.
1 . 2 General Methodologies of Data Collection
In this method, the condition of the existing environment is analyzed using appropriate scientific methods. The environmental components of the study area are focused for terrestrial, marine and coastal environment depending on the specific projects. In general, for any project that requires the study of the marine environment, the marine environment of the island is studied including the coral reef and the lagoon. Focus is given on specific areas of the island’s reef which is expected to have the greatest impact as a result of the proposed project. Coastal environmental data collection involves mapping the shoreline, taking beach profiles from selected locations, identifying and mapping costal defense structures and assessing the coastal environment for erosion or accretion. Terrestrial data collection usually includes creating a terrestrial map of the island or a specific area.
1 . 3 Mapping and Location Identification
The island, lagoon, reef or specific areas of islands or a project site is mapped, including shore line, vegetation line, reef lines, existing mature trees, coastal defense structures or other significant topographic features. Mapping is undertaken using hand held differential GPS and available aerial photos. The location of data collection sites are marked using handheld GPS. These data collection points includes marine water sampling locations, marine survey locations, existing groynes and sea walls, mature trees, breakwaters, protected or archaeological sites, erosion prone areas, sand spits, beach rocks etc.
1 . 4 Marine Environment Surveys
Marine environmental surveys were conducted to collect data on key environmental components (i.e. the coral reef system and the lagoon), that will be impacted due to the project. Four methods are primarily used to collect data, namely: Line Intercept transects (LIT’s) Detail photo quadrate analysis, Fish census and Visual observations.
Purpose of the survey is to define and establish marine environmental baseline conditions for impact evaluation during and after a project. Surveys are based on standard marine environmental surveys so that they can be repeatedly carried out to monitor and record changes and assess possible impacts on the marine environment from the proposed work activities. Surveys include quantitative and qualitative methods. In addition, photos are taken along the reef survey sites and the length of the lagoon.
1 . 5 Line Intercept Transects (LIT)
Line Intercept Transect (LIT) surveys are carried out to assess the benthic types and species at the survey sites. This method uses life form categories to assess the benthic sessile community of reefs and it is possible to incorporate taxonomic data as well. LIT surveys can be used to evaluate the community structure of corals in terms of species composition and
Annex: Methodology - Page 2 diversity patterns in different zones on a reef. LIT method also provides a rapid estimate of percent cover of corals, algal cover, and cases of other prominent organisms as well as bare substratum.
Quantitative percent cover of the reef community can be obtained using this method and it can be repeated over time to obtain changes over a period of time. Disadvantages of this method include difficulty in standardizing the life form categories and the limitation of the data collected, to information on percent cover and relative abundance (English et al. 1997). LIT surveys produce valuable data even though they are time consuming and require considerable effort and skills to record notes underwater (Segal & Castro 2001). A line transect of 20m length is normally used, but transect lengths can vary depending on the surveyor.
1 . 6 Photo quadrate analysis
Photo transect coral reef survey method is used to quantify the data of coral reef benthic communities i.e. live corals and their types, other benthos, dead corals and other reef substrate. This method is used to support the LIT surveys or as an alternative to line transect. A series of photographs are taken along the transect line (usually 20 m each) using an underwater camera. These photographs are combined to form a photo-composite. Photo- composite of the mapped area of the reef are then analyzed using computer software. It provided a detail record of individual corals, sandy or rubble area and other benthos to a mapped area. The photographs not only allowed speedy collection of data in the field, but also provided a permanent record of the transect line, which is useful for long-term monitoring of growth, mortality and recruitment.
Figure 1: Typical photo quadrate analysis
1 . 7 Qualitative assessment
Qualitative assessment of the reef or lagoon is based on visual observation by snorkeling and then comparing the result with underwater photos and aerial photographs.
Annex: Methodology - Page 3 1 . 8 P e r m a n e n t Photo Quadrats
This method involves taking still photographs of a fixed quadrat that are analyzed in the lab. It is useful to determine temporal change in shallow macrobenthos communities. Permanent photo-quadrats can also complement LITs and are suitable for small-scale questions and to follow the fate of individual colonies. Detailed temporal change can be determined for individual corals for biological condition, growth, mortality and recruitment. Data can be used to estimate percent cover, species diversity, relative abundance, density and size. Percentage cover of target organisms can be determined in the lab by either point sample methods by placing a grid cover the quadrat or by digitizing the image (digitizing is more expensive, time-consuming, requires special software and expertise). The precision depends on the apparatus used and the ability to take photo from exactly the same spot as well as observer differences for analysis.
On each designated Impact Sites squares of 50x50cm side length are placed randomly along the coral patches in about 1,5m depth. Still photos are taken and analyzed using the software CPCe 3.4 (Kohler and Gill 2006) with an equally spaced grid overlaid in 10 columns and 10 rows (100 points) per 50x50cm quadrat. Substrate categories are recorded and described. Statistical analysis is then undertaken using PAST software (PAlaeontological Statistics ver. 1.90, Øyvind Hammer).
All quadrats at the survey sites are permanently marked with square plastic markers for further monitoring studies. In addition, when possible, sub-surface buoys are installed at each Site close to the quadrats.
1 . 9 Reef fish Visual Census
Under water counts of reef fishes or underwater visual census (UVC) method is used to assess the fish population at an Impact Site and a Control Site. Visual counts appear to give reasonably reliable results provided that they are applied to fish that are non-cryptic and either diurnally active or at least evident by day. In this method, the surveyor swims along the transect paths above the reef, counting fish that were observed within 1,5m either side of the transect and above up to the water column. The same transects line as for the Visual Quadrat survey is normally utilized to carry out the fish census. Fish are counted along the 20 m transect path (that is in a belt of 1.5 m on either side and up to the water surface). To count the fish, the surveyor swims slowly along, counting fishes that are seen within the defined band transect, 20m long by 3m wide (i.e. one with a total area of 60m²). All fish encountered are recorded at least up to family level, some up to genus and species level, noted on the underwater slate immediately after they are seen. Counting any fish more than once is avoided by training and experience. Speed at which the path swum is controlled so as to standardize the efficiency of search. If the surveyor swims too fast it is easy to miss fish, especially of smaller species, that may be temporarily obscured by corals or rock or be taking shelter. Experience shows that the slower the surveyor swims, more fish that is recorded up to a point. However, the highest number recorded by moving along very slowly may actually be an over estimate of fish density. Hence it is necessary to standardize swimming speed to a slow but not too slow pace. The standard speed of swimming practiced is at a mean rate of 8m a minute. For results, only the most abundant fish families are taken into account, each representing one of the following functional groups: herbivores (Acanthuridae, Scaridae), omnivores (selected Labridae), corallivores (Chaetodontodae) as well as habitat specialists (Pomacentridae).
1 . 1 0 Marine Water Quality
One of the main environmental components that is affected by implementing a number of projects in Maldives is the marine water quality. Water quality is assessed during the field trip by collecting samples and testing them at National Health Laboratory. Water quality is
Annex: Methodology - Page 4 assessed from multiple locations depending on the project. The locations, frequency and parameters to be monitored are given in the EIA report.
1 . 1 1 Coastal environment
1 . 1 2 Shoreline and vegetation line mapping
The island’s shore line and vegetation lines are mapped during low, high and mid tides using a handheld GPS assisted by aerial photos. The data is then entered in to a GIS database and maps are generated.
1 . 1 2 . 1 Coastal structures mapping
Similar to the island’s shore line and vegetation lines, all the coastal infrastructures such as groynes, sea walls, revetments, offshore and near shore breakwaters are mapped using a handheld GPS assisted by aerial photos. The data is then entered in to a GIS database and maps are generated.
1 . 1 2 . 2 Erosion and Accretion areas mapping
Areas where severe erosion and accretion occurring are mapped using a handheld GPS. The data is then entered in to a GIS database and maps are generated and compared with previous available maps and satellite photos.
1 . 1 2 . 3 Beach Profiles
Dumpy levels were also used to survey around selected locations around the island and beach profiles were generated from these data. The location along the which the beach profiles were taken was marked using a GPS for future monitoring. When selecting locations, a permanent structure or object such as a building corner, larger mature tree or any other similar benchmark were identified for future reference. The final beach profiles are corrected to MSL and graphs developed.
1 . 1 2 . 4 Drogues and currents
Nearshore currents in the lagoon or reef were measured by deploying a handheld GPS in a watertight casing with a fin attached at the bottom. The GPS is deployed for a period of minimum 15 minutes during which time its displacement from the original position are recorded as a line. After 15 minutes, it is removed and deployed at another location. Once the data is collected, currents in a particular area is calculated by measuring the distance it has travelled by 15 minutes.
1 . 1 3 Terrestrial environment
1 . 1 3 . 1 Terrestrial floral survey
The baseline terrestrial environment of the project location is studied in detail by counting trees existing in the area, and gathering information available from island office or from other available sources. The survey concentrates on identifying vegetation types, their abundance and occurrence in a given area. The methods used to assess the tree types and abundance are using line transects. A measuring tape is used to set up the transect line which is selected randomly from within the project boundary. The surveyor measures and records the type of trees and their average heights. Average heights are estimated and so there is a greater degree of error in estimating the tree heights. The results are then tabulated to calculate the
Annex: Methodology - Page 5 percentage of different trees. In addition, records from island office / resort or other sources are also used to cross check the figures.
1 . 1 3 . 2 Terrestrial faunal survey
In depth faunal survey is not assessed but the types of fauna encountered during the floral transect is identified and recorded. Focus in given on specific fauna such as turtles, fruit bats, sea birds and other sensitive birds. Birds and their habitation patterns are also observed and recorded during the survey.
1 . 1 3 . 3 Ground Water Assessment
Groundwater quality is assessed by collecting samples from given locations selected randomly or from available points within the island using YSI 6820 multi parameter handheld water quality meter. In addition, water quality is also tested at the National Health Laboratory.
1 . 1 4 Coastal Environment
Data collected on coastal environment includes beach profiles, existing coastal structures (sea walls, breakwaters, groyns etc.), beach composition, beach width, shore line and vegetation line. All beach profile locations are marked on GPS maps and their geographical coordinates are marked on a map. Beach profiles are taken as baseline data to make comparisons during monitoring programme so that any changes resulting from the coastal or any other component of a project can be assessed accurately. Beach profiles are measured using auto levels, GPS and a staff.
1 . 1 5 B a t h y m e t r y
Bathymetric survey are undertaken in the lagoon or reef using Echosounder attached to a boat. The levels are then corrected for mean sea level and represented in a map. Bathymetric maps provide accurate estimates of depths in a particular lagoon or a reef.
1 . 1 6 Aerial photos
Aerials photos provide useful information such as assisting the analysis of marine environment, identifying wave patterns and changes to shoreline and also vulnerable areas of the island for all kinds of projects. Aerial photos are purchased from DigitalGlobe.
1 . 1 7 Available long term weather data
Long term available weather data is obtained from the nearest weather station to a project in Maldives, which is based in Male’ International Airport (Male’ atoll), Hanimaadhoo (Haa Dhaal Atoll), Kaadehdhoo (Gaaf Dhaal atoll and Gan island in Seenu atoll. These data sets are used to develop a regional model in ArcGIS to assess the vulnerable areas of the island or any other project during both monsoons, thus helping the EIA team to assess the vulnerable areas of the island for erosion and various other weather related issues.
Annex: Methodology - Page 6
22 Annex: Policy and legal framework
Contents
1 ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AND PRESERVATION ACT...... 3 2 MALDIVES VISION 2020 4 3 SIXTH AND SEVENTH NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN ...... 4 4 SECOND NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT ACTION PLAN (1999) ...... 5 5 NATIONAL BIODIVERSITY STRATEGY AND ACTION PLAN ...... 5 6 PROTECTED AREAS AND SENSITIVE AREAS...... 6 7 WASTE MANAGEMENT POLICY ...... 6 8 REGULATION ON SAND AND AGGREGATE MINING...... 6 9 BAN ON CORAL MINING 6 10 TOURISM ACT (LAW NO. 2/99) ...... 7 11 MINISTRY OF TOURISM REGULATIONS AND CIRCULARS...... 7 12 FRAMEWORK FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT...... 7 13 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REGULATION 2007 ...... 8 14 POST EIA MONITORING, AUDITING AND EVALUATION...... 8 15 GUIDELINES FOR DOMESTIC WASTEWATER DISPOSAL...... 8 16 CONSULTATION AND PUBLIC PARTICIPATION LAWS...... 8 17 POPULATION POLICY 8 18 TRANSPORT MASTER PLAN...... 9 19 PROTECTED AREAS AND ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE AREAS...... 9 20 AGRICULTURE DEVELOPMENT MASTER PLAN...... 9 21 REGULATION ON CUTTING DOWN, UPROOTING, DIGGING OUT AND EXPORT OF TREES...... 10 22 GUIDELINES FOR LAND USE PLANNING...... 11 23 LAND LAW 12 24 GUIDELINES FOR DOMESTIC WASTEWATER DISPOSAL...... 12 25 GUIDELINES FOR IMPORT, PRODUCE AND SALE OF BOTTLED WATER IN THE MALDIVES FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION 12 26 GENERAL REGULATION FOR FOOD ESTABLISHMENT AND SERVICES ...... 12 27 REGULATIONS FOR INSTALLING AND OPERATING DESALINATION PLANTS IN THE MALDIVES ...... 12 28 GENERAL STANDARD FOR BOTTLED / PACKAGED DRINKING WATERS (OTHER THAN NATURAL MINERAL WATER) CODEX STAN 227-2001...... 12 29 GENERAL STANDARD FOR THE LABELLING OF PRE-PACKAGED FOODS (CODEX STAN 1 – 1985) ...... 12 30 RELEVANT INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS, TREATIES AND PROTOCOLS ...... 13
30.1 THE MONTREAL PROTOCOL ON SUBSTANCES THAT DEPLETE THE OZONE LAYER...... 13
30.2 UNITED NATIONS CONVENTION ON BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY (UNCBD) ...... 13
30.3 MARPOL CONVENTION...... 13
Annex: Laws, Policies, Standards & Guidelines. Page 2 1 Environmental Protection and Preservation Act
The Articles of the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act (Law No. 4/93) addresses the following aspects of environmental management: . . Guidelines and advice on environmental protection shall be provided by the concerned government authorities.
The concerned government authority shall provide the necessary guidelines and advise on environmental protection in accordance with the prevailing conditions and needs of the country. All concerned parties shall take due considerations of the guidelines provided by the government authorities. . . Formulating policies, rules and regulations for protection and conservation of the environment in areas that do not already have a designated government authority already carrying out such functions shall be carried out by MEEW. . . Identifying and registering protected areas and natural reserves and drawing up of rules and regulations for their protection and preservation. . (a) The Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water shall be responsible for identifying protected areas and natural reserves and for drawing up the necessary rules and regulations for their protection and preservation. .
(b) Anyone wishing to establish any such area as mentioned in (a) of this clause, as a protected area or a reserve shall register as such that at the ministry of Environment, Energy and Water and abide by the rules and regulations laid by the Ministry
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
(a) An impact assessment study shall be submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water before implementing any development project that may have a potential impact on the environment
(b) The Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water shall formulate the guidelines for EIA and shall determine the projects that need such assessment as mentioned in paragraph (a) of this clause.
The Termination of projects
The Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water has the authority to terminate any project that has any undesirable impact on the environment. A project so terminated shall not receive any compensation
Waste Disposal, Oil and Poisonous Substances
(a) Any type of waste, oil, poisonous gases or any substance that may have harmful effect on the environment shall not be disposed within the territory of the Maldives.
(b) In case where the disposal of the substance stated in paragraph (a) of this clause becomes absolutely necessary, they shall be disposed only within the areas designated for
Annex: Laws, Policies, Standards & Guidelines. Page 3 the purpose by the government. If such waster is to be incinerated, appropriate precautions shall be taken to avoid any harm to the health of the population.
Hazardous/ Toxic or Nuclear Wastes
Hazardous/Toxic or Nuclear Wastes that is harmful to human health and the environment shall not be disposed anywhere within the territory of the country. Permission shall be obtained from the relevant government authority at least 3 months in advance for any transboundary movement of such wastes through the territory of the Maldives.
The Penalty for Breaking the Law and Damaging the Environment
The penalty for minor offenses in breach of this law or any regulations made under this law, shall be a fine ranging between Rf 5.00 (five Rufiyaa) and Rf 500.00 (five hundred Rufiyaa) depending on the actual gravity of the offence. The fine shall be levied by the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water or by any other government authority designated by the ministry.
Except for those offenses that are stated in (a) of this clause, all major offenses, under this law shall carry a fine of not more than Rf 100,000,000.00 (one hundred million Rufiyaa) depending on the seriousness of the offense. The fine shall be levied by the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water.
Compensation
The government of Maldives reserves the right to claim compensation for all the damages that are caused by the activities that are detrimental to the environment. This include all the activities that area mentioned in clause 7 of this law as well as those activities that take place outside the projects that are identified here as environmentally damaging.
2 Maldives Vision 2020
The Vision 2020 of Maldives states the long term vision for sustainable development, and affirms that the country will take measures to combat global environmental threats and adaptations of environmentally-friendly lifestyles in the country. All national policies and plans focus on realizing environmental goals and policies laid out in Vision 2020.
3 Sixth and Seventh National Development Plan
Building upon the experience of 6th NDP, the major environmental protection and preservation policies outlined in the Seventh National Development Plan of Maldives (7th NDP) are:
Strengthen EIA process to ensure environmental and socio-economic impacts associated with new developments are accounted for in decision making.
Conserve biological diversity for natural, traditional, cultural and economic needs of the people.
Position Maldives to adapt to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise.
Ensure a protected and safe coastal environment for all Maldivians.
Annex: Laws, Policies, Standards & Guidelines. Page 4 Enable management of solid waste to prevent impact on human health and environmental through approaches that are sustainable and locally appropriate.
Develop the mechanisms for the appropriate management of hazardous wastes including chemical, healthcare waste and waste oil.
Reduce pollution to safeguard human health, protect the environment and promote sustainable development.
Improve the quality of environmental services provided to the islands.
4 Second National Environment Action Plan (1999)
The aim of NEAP II is to protect and preserve the environment of the Maldives and to sustainably manage its resources for the collective benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.
Main strategies of the NEAP II are: . Continuous assessment of the state of the environment in the Maldives, including impacts of human activities on land, atmosphere, freshwater, lagoons, reefs and the ocean; and the effects of these activities on human well-being . Development and implementation of management methods suitable for the natural and social environment of the Maldives, and maintain or enhance environmental quality and protect human health, while at the same time using resources on a sustainable basis . Consultation and collaboration with all relevant sectors of society to ensure stakeholder participation in the decision making process . Preparation and implementation of comprehensive national environmental legislation in order to provide for responsible and effective management of the environment . Adhering to international and regional environmental conventions and agreements and implementation of commitments embodied in such conventions.
NEAP II specifies priority actions in the following areas. . Climate change and sea level rise; coastal zone management; . biological diversity conservation; integrated reef resources management; . integrated water resources management; . management of solid waste and sewerage; . Pollution control and management of hazardous waste; . sustainable tourism development; . land resources management and sustainable agriculture . human settlement and urbanisation.
NEAP II contains environmental policies and guidelines that should be adhered to in the implementation of the proposed project activities.
5 National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan
The goals of the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan are: . Conserve biological diversity and sustainably utilize biological resources. . Build capacity for biodiversity conservation through a strong governance framework, and improved knowledge and understanding. . Foster community participation, ownership and support for biodiversity
Annex: Laws, Policies, Standards & Guidelines. Page 5 conservation.
6 Protected Areas and Sensitive Areas
Under Article 4 of the Environment Protection and Preservation Act, the Ministry of Environment is vested with the responsibility of identifying and registering protected areas and natural reserves and drawing up of rules and regulations for their protection and preservation. At present there are no rules and regulations made available to the public on designation and protection of habitats and heritage areas.
7 Waste management policy
The Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water has developed the framework for a national waste management policy. The key elements of the policy include: . Ensure safe disposal of solid waste and encourage recycling and reduction in waste generated. . Develop guidelines on waste management and disposal and advocate to enforce these guidelines through inter-sectoral collaboration. . Ensure safe disposal of chemical, industrial and hazardous waste.
The key objective of the waste management policy would be the formulation and implementation of guidelines and means for solid waste management to maintain a healthy environment.
8 Regulation on sand and aggregate mining
This regulation addresses sand mining from uninhabited islands that have been leased; sand mining from the coastal zone of other uninhabited islands; and aggregate mining from uninhabited islands that have been leased and from the coastal zone of other uninhabited islands.
9 Ban on coral mining
Coral mining from the house reef and the atoll rim has been banned through a directive from the President’s Office dated 26th September 1990. According to these policies, coral mining is not to be carried out on island house reefs; coral mining cannot be carried out on atoll rim reefs and common bait fishing reefs; coral or sand mining is only allowed from designated sites, and approval from the concerned Atoll Office is required prior to the commencement of any mining operation. requests for coral or sand mining from residents of inhabited islands are required to be submitted to the Atoll Office through their respective island office the island office is required to estimate the quantity of corals required for the applied construction work and hence this ensures that permission is granted to mine just the required amount;
Every island is required to keep a log book of the amount of corals mined. sand mining is not allowed on the beaches of inhabited islands, islands leased for industrial developments and tourist resorts and within the lagoons adjoining these islands.
Annex: Laws, Policies, Standards & Guidelines. Page 6 Coral and sand would not be mined in any stage of the project.
10 Tourism Act (Law no. 2/99)
This Act provides for the determination of zones and islands for the development of tourism in the Maldives: . the leasing of islands for development as tourist resorts, . the leasing of land for development as tourist hotels and tourist guesthouses, . the leasing of places for development as marinas, . the management of all such facilities; and . the operation of tourist vessels, diving centres and travel agencies, and . the regulation of persons providing such services.
11 Ministry of Tourism Regulations and Circulars
The Tourism Regulations in the Maldives ensure that carrying capacity of the island and atoll ecosystems are well within limits and the negative effects of the development are minimal. The Ministry also issues circulars on several occasions and when necessary to discourage activities such as sand and coral mining, developing on the coastal environment and waste disposal which may cause harm or damage to the natural environment, which is the main tourism product.
Tourism regulations strictly discourage modifications to the natural movement of sand around the islands. Therefore, Tourism Regulations require that special permission from the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation be sought before commencing any coastal modification works on any tourist resort. It is also stated that hard engineering solutions are not encouraged and construction of solid jetties and groynes be controlled and shall only be undertaken after conducting an Environment Impact Assessment study. Similarly, design of boat piers, jetties and other such structures are required to be in such a way that these shall not obstruct current and sediment circulation patterns of the island.
The Ministry also issues circulars on several occasions and when necessary to discourage activities such as sand and coral mining, developing on the coastal environment and waste disposal which may cause harm or damage to the natural environment, which is the main tourism product.
12 Framework for Environmental Assessment
The enforcement of EIA regulation in the country began with the formulation of the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act (Law 4/93) in April 1993 in order to protect, preserve and safeguard the fragile environment of the country. The Environmental Act gives very high prominence towards safeguarding the environment with regard to all the development activities and is currently being implemented by the Environment Research Center of the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water. The Ministry has been formed recently and its mandate includes: . organizing, developing and managing systems for environmental monitoring, including periodically evaluating the actual state of the environment, and forecasting environmental changes; . evaluating environmental impact assessment reports of new projects and monitoring reports for existing facilities; . issuing and revoking certificates based on compliance with environmental standards;
Annex: Laws, Policies, Standards & Guidelines. Page 7 According to article 5 (a) of the Act, an Environmental Impact Assessment shall be submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water according to guidelines formulated by the Ministry before implementing any activity that may have an adverse impact on the environment. The Ministry shall determine projects that need such assessment. This umbrella law gives the Ministry the right to terminate projects that have undesirable impacts or claim compensation for damages caused by activities that are detrimental to the environment.
13 Environmental Impact Assessment Regulation 2007
The Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water has issued new EIA regulation on May 2007, which guides the process of undertaking the Environmental Impact Assessment in the Republic of Maldives – This guideline also provides a comprehensive outline of the EIA process, including the roles and responsibilities of the consultants and the proponents. This regulation outlines every step of the IEE/EIA process beginning from application to undertake an EIA, details on the contents, minimum requirements for consultants undertaking the EIA, format of the EIA/IEE report and many more .
14 Post EIA Monitoring, Auditing and Evaluation
The environmental monitoring programme given in EIA reports is an important aspect of the EIA process. The monitoring programme outlines the objectives of the monitoring; the specific information to be collected; the data collection program, and managing the monitoring program. Managing the monitoring programme requires assigning institutional responsibility, reporting requirements, enforcement capability, and ensuring that adequate resources are provided in terms of funds, skilled staff, etc.
15 Guidelines for Domestic Wastewater Disposal
The guidelines are developed by the Maldives Water and Sanitation Authority and are implemented by the Environment Protection Agency. The guideline is to improve public health through improved sanitation and cleaner and safer environment by regulating the disposal of domestic wastewater.
16 Consultation and Public Participation laws
In the Maldives public participation has been limited to the review stages of the EIA until recently with the EIA Regulation, which considers public consultation as an important and integral part of the EIA process. Hence, this EIA has also taken public views into consideration. Stakeholder consultations are an essential component of the EIA process.
17 Population Policy
The objective of the Population Policy of Maldives is to contribute to improve standard of living and quality of life of the Maldivian people through socio-economic development with a sustainable balance between population and development. One important aspect of the Population Policy is the strategy of population and development consolidation, which focuses on organizing human settlements in such a way that sustainable development is fostered and economies of scale are met.
Annex: Laws, Policies, Standards & Guidelines. Page 8 18 Transport Master Plan
The Transport Master Plan highlights the issues of scattered geography and the limited transport opportunities that further add to remoteness and isolation of the island communities from the more developed centers and that isolation is an important element of poverty in many atolls. Access problems were reported by half of the atoll population due to problems with harbours, absence of jetties, or enclosed nature of the islands by the coral reefs. These factors greatly contributed the unbalanced development in the atolls compared Male’ For the past three decades public investment in Male’ was more than 50% higher than in atolls.
Recognizing the problem of this unbalanced development the government shifted its development strategy to the atolls to stimulate regional development in five regional growth centers, north, north-central, central, south-central and south of the country which will facilitate balanced provision of economic and social services. The transport Master Plan emphasizes regional development and provision of basic infrastructure which includes harbours that will connect regional centers and surrounding islands with Male’.
According to the Transport Master Plan, having and efficient and effective transport network that systematically link Male’, the regional centers and the surrounding atoll will be the key to ensuring that socio-economic development of the country is distributed equitably.
19 Protected Areas and Environmentally Sensitive Areas
Under article 4 of the Environment Protection and Preservation Act of Maldives, the ministry of Environment, Energy and Water is vested with the responsibility of identifying and designation of protected areas and natural and drawing up rules and regulations for the management of protected areas and natural reserves in the country.
20 Agriculture Development Master Plan
The government of Maldives recognizes that the agriculture industry is an important sector for the economy of the country. In this respect a 15 year Agriculture Development Master Plan has been formulated. Under the 15 year Agriculture Development Master Plan the Government is facilitating the private sector to develop the agriculture industry in the country. In this regard, the Government has started leasing uninhabited islands on long-term basis for the development of agriculture in the country.
Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Marine Resources is the leading Government Agency having mandates for management of uninhabited islands and hence formulates Laws and regulations with respect to leasing of uninhabited islands on long-term basis for such developments. An important Law in this regard is the Law No. 20/98 on uninhabited islands of Maldives. Under this law, uninhabited islands shall be leased for a maximum period of 21 years to eligible individuals or parties for the on the basis of the best proposal submitted. However, if the initial investment for such development is more than US$10 million, the lease period shall be 35 years. A number of regulations have been formulated and enforced under this Law, including cutting down of trees for timber, and sand and aggregate
Annex: Laws, Policies, Standards & Guidelines. Page 9 collection. Permission shall be obtained from the relevant Government authorities prior to such actions in leased (on Varuvaa) islands.
According to the Lease Agreement between the Government and the lessee of Islands leased on long-term basis for major economic development such as agriculture development, trees shall not be damaged and a written permission shall be obtained from Government prior to cutting down of trees and collection of sand and aggregate in such islands.
Furthermore, the lessee is responsible for looking after the island in terms of beach and coastal erosion and measures shall be taken by the lessee in protecting the island from such events. Therefore, the Lease Agreement between Government and lessee is an important regulatory document for management of islands leased on long-term basis for economic development. Ministry of Environment has the mandates for protection and preservation of environment. In this respect, Ministry of Environment, formulates policies, Laws and regulations on environmental protection and conservation. The most important regulation is Environment Impact Regulations, 2007 enforced under Environment Protection and Preservation Act (Law No. 4/93). The Clauses of Environment Protection and Preservation Act address the following that relate to the proposed project development and implementation.
An impact assessment study shall be submitted to the relevant Government authority before implementing any development project that may have a potential impact on the environment. This report is submitted in order to get the EIA approval for this project.
Waste Disposal, Oil and Poisonous Substances. Any type of waste, oil, poisonous gases or any substance that may have a harmful effect on the environment shall not be disposed within the territory of the Maldives. Waste management protocols and methods are clearly outlined in this report.
Government of Maldives reserves right to claim compensation for all the damages that area caused by the activities that are detrimental to the environment. All such detrimental activities in this project have been examined and adequate mitigation measures are provided.
In addition to EIA regulations, other relevant regulation will be followed in development and implementation of the proposed project. These regulations include ban on coral mining. Coral mining from house reef and atoll rim reef has been banned since 1990. Sand mining from any island has also been banned since March 2000. Coral or sand will not be used for any purpose for the proposed project.
An important regulation on uninhabited island is with respect to felling trees for the purpose of timber resources. According to this regulation no trees shall be fell without prior permission of relevant Government authorities and trees that need to be fell shall be replaced or replanted elsewhere.
21 Regulation on cutting down, uprooting, digging out and export of trees
The Regulation on cutting down, uprooting, digging out and export of trees and palms from one island to another was recently issued by the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water. Clause 5 (a) of the regulations states that Prior to the commencement of any project(s) that would require the indiscriminate removal and export of trees/palms from one island to another for the purpose of agriculture, development/redevelopment, construction
Annex: Laws, Policies, Standards & Guidelines. Page 10 or any other purpose, it is mandatory under the Regulation to prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment Report stating clearly the details of the Project(s) with all necessary information and submit the same through the relevant Ministry to Ministry of Environment Energy and Water, and the project(s) can only commence upon the grant of written approval from the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water.
Article 8 (a) requires permission be obtained from Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water, if more than 10 coconut palms that are of a height of 15 ft (from base of the palm to the tip of the palm frond) are cut, uprooted or relocated to another island. The regulation also ensures the replacement of the vegetation that is lost by imposing the planting of two palms for every palm tree that is cut or uprooted (Article 2 (d)). Logging on inhabited islands must be done under supervision of the islands chief or an official appointed by the island chief (Article 8 (c)).
In pursuant to law number 4/93 (Environment Protection and Preservation Act of Maldives), the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water has made a by law with the purpose of educating developers about the importance of trees including best management practices for maintaining trees and provide standards for preservation of trees in the Maldives and set down rules and regulations to be adhered to prior to commencing felling, uprooting, digging out and exporting of trees and palms from one island to another in Maldives. The by law states that the cutting down, uprooting, digging out and export of trees and palms from one island to another can only be done if it is absolutely necessary and there is no other alternative.
It further states that for every tree or palm removed in the Maldives two more should be planted and grown in the island. The by-law prohibits the removal of the following tree types;
• The coastal vegetation growing around the islands extending to about 15 meters into the island are protected by this by-law;
• All the trees and palms growing in mangrove and wetlands spreading to 15 meters of land area is protected under this by-law;
• All the trees that are in a designated protected area;
• Trees that are being protected by the Government in order to protect species of animal/organisms that live in such trees;
• Trees/palms that is abnormal in structure
22 Guidelines for land Use Planning
This guideline developed by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MHUD) categorizes all islands into 5 different categories. Land use plans for inhabited islands are prepared by the Ministry of Housing, Transport and Environment in collaboration with other concerned agencies.
Whilst these guidelines require a minimum of 20m wide Environmental Protection Zone (EPZ), consisting of vegetation between the beach and rest of the island except where the land use is for harbour frontage or for commercial use.
Annex: Laws, Policies, Standards & Guidelines. Page 11 23 Land Law
The law governs the allocation of Maldivian land for different purposes and uses and other issues regarding the issuing of land, issuing of state dwellings for residential purposes, conduct regarding state dwellings or private dwellings constructed for residential purposes and the sale, transfer and lease of Maldivian Land. All transactions concerning the issuing, receiving, owning, selling, lease, utilizing and using Maldivian land shall be conducted in compliance with this Act.
24 Guidelines for Domestic Wastewater Disposal
The guidelines is developed by the Maldives Water and Sanitation Authority and is implemented by the Environment Protection Agency. The guideline is to improve public health through improved sanitation and cleaner and safer environment by regulating the disposal of domestic wastewater.
25 Guidelines for Import, Produce and Sale of Bottled Water in the Maldives for Human Consumption
The guideline has been developed by the Maldives Food and Drug Authority to provide guidance on food safety requirements for the pre-packaged or bottled water produced or imported for sale in Maldives for the purpose of human consumption. The guidelines provide the general requirements where the guidelines could be used, good manufacturing standards and water quality standards.
26 General Regulation for Food Establishment and Services
This is a regulation implemented by the Maldives Food and Drug Authority. The regulation is applicable to establishments which are related to the production, harvesting, transport, storage or sales of food.
27 Regulations for Installing and Operating Desalination Plants in the Maldives
This regulations deals with the registering of the desalination plants which are operated in the Maldives. The regulation states that a desalination plant that is capable of producing fresh water to an acceptable standard for domestic consumption and is used for industrial purposes shall be registered under this regulation.
28 General Standard for Bottled / Packaged Drinking Waters (other than natural mineral water) CODEX STAN 227-2001
This standard applies to waters for drinking purposes other than natural mineral waters. This is a guideline issued by the WHO.
29 General Standard for the Labelling of Pre-packaged Foods (CODEX STAN 1 – 1985)
This standard applies to the labelling of all pre-packaged foods to be offered as such to the consumer or for catering purposes and to certain aspects relating to the presentation thereof. This is a guideline issued by the WHO.
Annex: Laws, Policies, Standards & Guidelines. Page 12 30 Relevant International conventions, treaties and protocols
3 0 . 1 The Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone L a y e r
The Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer is a landmark international agreement designed to protect the stratospheric ozone layer. The treaty was originally signed in 1987 and substantially amended in 1990 and 1992. The Montreal Protocol stipulates that the production and consumption of compounds that deplete ozone in the stratosphere; chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), halons, carbon tetrachloride, and methyl chloroform--are to be phased out by 2000 (2005 for methyl chloroform). Scientific theory and evidence suggest that, once emitted to the atmosphere, these compounds could significantly deplete the stratospheric ozone layer that shields the planet from damaging UV- B radiation.
3 0 . 2 United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (UNCBD)
The objective of UNCBD is “the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the utilization of genetic resources, including by appropriate access to genetic resources and by appropriate transfer of relevant technologies, taking into account all rights over those resources and to technologies, and by appropriate funding”.
Maldives was one of the first nations to ratify UNCBD. Maldives has developed the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) in 2002. Formulation of NBSAP was through wide consultation and extensive stakeholder participation.
3 0 . 3 Marpol Convention
International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) is the main international convention covering prevention of pollution of the marine environment by ships from operational or accidental causes. It is a combination of two treaties adopted in 1973 and 1978 and includes regulations aimed at preventing and minimizing pollution from ships - both accidental pollution and that from routine operations - and currently includes Prevention of Pollution by Oil; Control of Pollution by Noxious Liquid Substances in Bulk; Prevention of Pollution by Harmful Substances Carried by Sea in Packaged Form; Prevention of Pollution by Sewage from Ships; Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships; and Prevention of Air Pollution from Ships.
The Maldives has guidelines and regulations pertaining to pollution from ships and other vessels which may anchor at any harbour in the Maldives. Vessels requiring discharging slop from tank cleaning and dirty oil bilge should request local agent to provide reception facility. Port Authority does not have slop reception facilities. If any vessel discharges over board or in case any type of oil spill is found in port, the officer in charge of the vessel is required to report to Maldives Ports Authority and Coast Guard to take immediate action.
Furthermore, Government regulation states as follows:
1) It is expressly forbidden for any vessel to dump or discharge into any harbour, lagoon, or into any part of the waters of the Republic of Maldives, refuse, bunker oil, sewage, noxious substances or any materials or substances whatsoever.
Annex: Laws, Policies, Standards & Guidelines. Page 13 2) The Master of any vessel and / or its agents will be held directly responsible for any nature or degree of pollution of the water, lagoons and Islands of the Republic of Maldives through the dumping or discharge of any refuse and / or substances.
3) In the event of any nature or degree of pollution of Territorial Water of the Republic of Maldives due to the dumping or discharge of refuse and / or substances, the master and / or the Agent of the offending vessel shall be subject to an immediate fine deemed by the Authority concerned according to Maldivian Law.
Annex: Laws, Policies, Standards & Guidelines. Page 14
23 Annex: Laboratory results for the bacteriological quality of groundwater
24 Annex: Pump station location.