250 miles SW of India 417 Miles SW of Sri Lanka • Total Area 90,000 SqKm • Land Area 900 Sq Km ( 1 % land , • 10 th Smallest Nation) • Highest Point Above Sea Level is about 1 m ( Lowest Country) • Length 823 Km • Width 130 Km • 1192 Island formed of 26 Natural • 7 Provinces , 19 Atolls • 200 Inhabited Islands • 114 Resort Island • Population - 350,000+ (2015) Islands are mainly Covered with Dense of Coconut Palms and other Tropical Plants.

Crystal Clear Water & White Sandy Beaches CAPITAL CITY

Male’

Center Of Business And Government Offices • 4 Square Km • Home to 150,000 people • Severe Housing shortage • More than 99% Roads are ONE WAY • 1 Taxi Ride – Rf 25 (US $1.6 Regardless of length) Hulhule (Airport Island)

Reclamation Phase Construction Phase Hulhumale Today • Environmental security examines threats posed by environmental events and trends to individuals, communities or nations. • An Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) map provides a concise summary of coastal resources that could be at risk in the event of an oil spill. • Environmental Security Index ( ESI) maps have been an integral component of oil-spill contingency planning and response since 1979 (Ixtoc I) • Since 1989 ESI Maps has been generated with Digital Database and Geographic Information System ( GIS) techniques. ESI maps are comprised of three general types of information • 1. Shoreline Classification – Ranked according to a scale relating to sensitivity, natural persistence of oil, and ease of cleanup. • 2. Biological Resources –Including oil- sensitive animals and rare plants; and habitats, which are used by oil-sensitive species (aquatic vegetation and coral reefs) • 3. Human-Use Resources – Specific areas that have added sensitivity and value (beaches, parks, marine sanctuaries, water intakes, and archaeological sites) Today the symbols on an ESI map are color coded and prioritized for clean up by how sensitive they are to oil • Result of 2014 South Asia Regional Environmental Security Forum sponsored by the National Defence Force (MNDF) and the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM). • Proposed, approved and funded as a collaborative environmental security activity between the U.S. and Maldivian government • Managers – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – Maldives National Defence Forces (MNDF) • SME support – Ministry of Environment & Energy – Maldives Environmental Protection Agency – Maldives Marine Research Centre • One and a Half Degree Channel - Broad channel that separates (Laamu ) and . • One of the broadest channels between the atolls of Maldives • One of the best fishing locations in the regions of Asia/Pacific. • Reason - No emergency plan in place which identified priority environmental response areas susceptible to oiling. • Concept has been prepared to help develop a series of maps that identify sensitive biological, coastal and human characteristics for emergency responders to prioritize oil response cleanup actions. • A three-phased project designed to prepare Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) maps for portions of . • Phase I (Scoping). – USACE representative met with relevant stakeholders within the Maldivian Government – Discuss the initial ESI project concept – Gather data – Gain a better understanding of expectations and desired outcomes. • Phase II (Data Collection). – U.S. and Maldivian subject matter experts discussed: – emergency management, GIS, environment protection, surveying, coastal engineering, and biology/botany to collect shoreline, human-use, and biological resource information • Phase III (Delivery). – Stakeholders at both the strategic and technical level – Witness the resultant ESI map atlas and GIS database prepared during Phase II. – A workshop was conducted to explain all results, and provide education on ESI processes, lessons-learned from Phase I and II, and the way forward for potential ESI development in other Maldivian atolls. • a) Prepare an ESI atlas of a prioritized area in the Maldives that is potentially vulnerable to oil spill; • b) Promote awareness of oil spill risk and the impacts to sensitive environmental areas; • c) Increase environmental protection and emergency response collaboration between the United States and the Republic of Maldives; • d) Deliver an actionable project following guidance delivered at the 2014 South Asia RESF; and • e) Develop a “network of networks” of experienced environmental planners to assist in operations and sustainability Final Delivery (13-16 Mar 2016)

Workshop Coordination

Draft Atlas and GIS Delivery

Report Preparation Workshop Preparation

Data Collection Report Review (9-20 Aug 2015) SME Selection GIS Database & Mapping Scoping Mission (14-18 Dec 2014) Data Dictionary & Base Map Development Data Research

Concept Development Work Schedule Laamu Atoll Environment Sensitivity Index Project

• Team divided into small groups to collect ESI features. • Used four (4) mapping-grade Global Positioning System (GPS) receivers and hardcopy maps. • GPS units were outfitted with custom data dictionary and digital background maps. • Coordinate System = UTM Zone 43N WGS84 • Map Sheet Scale = 1:1,500 - 1:3,000 • Data Format – Vector = File Geodatabase (ArcGIS 10.x) – Raster = Mr.SID – Map = Map Document (ArcGIS 10.x) and GeoPDF • Data Dictionary = Trimble DDF format • Islands visited = 44 • Kilometers collected = 133+ • Kilometers walked by each team member = 150+ • Biological resources collected = 1,000+ • Human-use resources collected = 700

• Digital and Hardcopy Map Atlas (includes introduction, maps, legend, field photos, species lists, and references) • ESI GIS database for project location • GPS data dictionary • Coastal erosion summary • Digital and Hardcopy Map Atlas (includes introduction, maps, legend, field photos, species lists, and references) • ESI GIS database for project location • GPS data dictionary • Coastal erosion summary • Workshop to explain results (13-16 March 2016)

• Project mapped and developed a Geographic Information System (GIS) database of shoreline characteristics, biological resources, and human resources • Maps and atlases produced can be used by stakeholders to prioritize response efforts. • Methodology can be repeated in other locations in the Maldives by Maldivian subject matter experts.