ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT Proposed installation and Prepared by: operation of desalination plant CDE Pvt Ltd at Hithaadhoo Island, Baa Atoll Submitted by: Mr. Ismail Shafeeu, Ma. Summit Date January 2012 1-0 Table of Contents List of tables ........................................................................................................................................... iv List of figures ........................................................................................................................................... v 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 1-1 1.1 Purpose of report ................................................................................................................. 1-1 1.2 Project .................................................................................................................................. 1-1 1.3 Proponent ............................................................................................................................ 1-2 1.4 EIA consultant ...................................................................................................................... 1-2 1.5 Structure of report ............................................................................................................... 1-3 2 Project description ....................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.1 Project location .................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 Project components ............................................................................................................. 2-3 2.2.1 Installation of desalination plant ................................................................................. 2-4 2.2.2 Drilling and construction of boreholes ........................................................................ 2-4 2.2.3 Laying brine discharge pipeline .................................................................................... 2-4 2.2.4 Construction of water storage tanks ........................................................................... 2-5 2.2.5 Construction of fuel storage tank ................................................................................ 2-5 2.2.6 Laying of water supply network ................................................................................... 2-5 2.2.7 Operation of desalination plants ................................................................................. 2-6 2.3 Project schedule ................................................................................................................... 2-8 2.4 Summary of inputs and outputs .......................................................................................... 2-9 2.5 Labour Requirements......................................................................................................... 2-10 2.6 Waste Disposal ................................................................................................................... 2-10 3 Existing environment ................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.1 Study methodologies ........................................................................................................... 3-1 3.2 Study area ............................................................................................................................ 3-2 3.3 Climatic conditions ............................................................................................................... 3-1 3.3.1 Monsoons..................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.3.2 Winds ........................................................................................................................... 3-1 3.3.3 Rainfall ......................................................................................................................... 3-3 3.3.4 Temperature ................................................................................................................ 3-4 3.4 Tides, currents and waves .................................................................................................... 3-4 3.4.1 Tides ............................................................................................................................. 3-4 i EIA – Proposed desalination plant project at Hithaadhoo, Baa Atoll Proponent: Ismail Shafeeu 3.4.2 Currents ........................................................................................................................ 3-5 3.4.3 Waves ........................................................................................................................... 3-6 3.4.4 Tsunami and waves ...................................................................................................... 3-7 3.5 Terrestrial environment ....................................................................................................... 3-8 3.5.1 Vegetation survey ........................................................................................................ 3-8 3.5.2 Land transects and beach profiles ............................................................................. 3-10 3.6 Marine environment .......................................................................................................... 3-14 3.7 Social environment ............................................................................................................ 3-16 3.7.1 Population structure .................................................................................................. 3-16 3.7.2 Dependency ratio ....................................................................................................... 3-18 3.7.3 Administrative and institutional capacity .................................................................. 3-19 3.7.4 Education attainment ................................................................................................ 3-19 3.7.5 Employment ............................................................................................................... 3-20 3.7.6 Marriage ..................................................................................................................... 3-21 3.7.7 Infrastructure and services ........................................................................................ 3-21 4 Legal and policy framework ......................................................................................................... 4-1 5 Stakeholder views ........................................................................................................................ 5-1 6 Impacts identification .................................................................................................................. 6-3 6.1 Nature of Potential Impacts on Key Components ............................................................... 6-3 6.2 Identification of Significant Impacts .................................................................................... 6-3 7 Significant Impacts and Mitigation Measures .............................................................................. 7-1 7.1 Air quality degradation ........................................................................................................ 7-1 7.2 Groundwater contamination ............................................................................................... 7-1 7.3 Noise pollution ..................................................................................................................... 7-2 7.4 Increased cost of living ......................................................................................................... 7-3 8 Alternatives .................................................................................................................................. 8-1 8.1 No project option ................................................................................................................. 8-1 8.2 Alternative energy source .................................................................................................... 8-1 9 Environmental monitoring plan ................................................................................................... 9-2 9.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 9-2 9.2 Construction phase monitoring ........................................................................................... 9-2 9.2.1 Other monitoring needs ............................................................................................... 9-3 9.3 Operation phase monitoring ................................................................................................ 9-3 9.4 Monitoring Report ............................................................................................................... 9-4 ii EIA – Proposed desalination plant project at Hithaadhoo, Baa Atoll Proponent: Ismail Shafeeu 9.5 Cost of Monitoring ............................................................................................................... 9-4 9.6 Commitment to Monitoring ................................................................................................