Maldive Transport and Contracting Company Pte Ltd Environmental Impact Assessment Report Harbor Expansion project FEEALI, FAAFU ATOLL January 2012 c Declaration of the Project Proponent and commitment letter Re: EIA report for proposed harbor expansion project at Faafu Feeali As the proponent of the proposed 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 hereby confirm Our commitment to finance and implement all mitigation measures and the monitoring program as specified in the report Signature: Name: Designation: Date: Declaration of the Consultant I certify that statements made in this Environment Impact Assessment Report Harbor Expansion project at Feeali, Faafu Atoll, to best of my knowledge are true, complete and correct. Name: Hussein Zahir Consultant Registration Number: 04-07 ` Table of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................... 1 1. INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................... 4 a) Purpose of the Report and Need for the EIA ............................................................ 4 b) Structure of the Report ......................................................................................... 4 2. PROJECT SETTING ...................................................................................................... 6 a) Environment Protection and Preservation Act of Maldives ...................................... 6 b) Third National Environmental Action Plan (NEAP III) ........................................... 7 c) National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (NBSAP) ......................................... 8 d) Protected Areas and Sensitive Areas ................................................................. 10 e) Cutting down, uprooting, digging out and export of trees and palms from one island to another ........................................................................................................... 10 3. PROJECT DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................ 12 a) Project Proponent .................................................................................................. 12 b) The Project ......................................................................................................... 12 c) Need for the Project ............................................................................................... 12 d) Location and Extent of Site Boundaries .............................................................. 13 e) Construction Phase and Schedule for Implementation .......................................... 14 f) Major Inputs ........................................................................................................... 16 i) Mobilization and material unloading .................................................................. 16 ii) Workforce .......................................................................................................... 16 iii) Heavy machinery and power generation ....................................................... 16 g) Construction methods ........................................................................................ 16 i) Excavation method ............................................................................................. 16 ii) Construction of wharf and harbor protection structure ...................................... 17 h) Major Outputs ........................................................................................................ 17 i) Harbor design .................................................................................................... 17 ii) Dredge material ................................................................................................. 18 iii) Risks Associated with the Project ................................................................... 18 4. Methodology ............................................................................................................. 21 5. Public Consultation ................................................................................................... 23 a) Institutional Arrangements .................................................................................... 23 b) Community consultations and stakeholder meetings ......................................... 23 c) Consultation with MHE .......................................................................................... 25 i ` d) Outcome of the consultation meetings ............................................................... 25 6. Existing Environment ................................................................................................ 26 a) General Setting ...................................................................................................... 26 b) Geographical location and general setting of Faafu. Feeali ............................... 27 c) Climate and Oceanography .................................................................................. 27 i) Wind climate ...................................................................................................... 27 ii) Tide .................................................................................................................... 32 iii) Wave .............................................................................................................. 34 d) Beach Environment ............................................................................................ 37 e) Marine Surveys ...................................................................................................... 40 i) Coral reef and sea grass meadows .................................................................... 41 ii) Reef fish community ........................................................................................... 43 iii) Seawater quality ............................................................................................. 44 f) Hazard vulnerability, area vulnerable to flooding and storm surges .................... 45 g) Social Environment ............................................................................................ 48 h) Terrestrial Environment ........................................................................................ 49 i) Built Environment .................................................................................................. 49 i) Breakwaters ....................................................................................................... 49 ii) Quay walls .......................................................................................................... 50 iii) Harbor basin and entrance channel ............................................................... 50 7. Environmental Impacts ............................................................................................. 52 a) Limitation and uncertainty of impact prediction .................................................... 53 b) Construction Impacts ......................................................................................... 53 i) Schedule, logistics and loading and unloading construction materials .............. 54 ii) Construction materials and solid waste .............................................................. 54 iii) Impacts due to construction methods ............................................................. 54 iv) Impact on vegetation ...................................................................................... 55 v) Coastal structures .............................................................................................. 55 vi) Social impacts, noise and air pollution ........................................................... 56 vii) Effects on Groundwater Quality ...................................................................... 56 c) Operational Impacts .............................................................................................. 56 i) Waste water disposal or littering of the harbor .................................................. 57 ii) Positive social impacts ....................................................................................... 57 d) Impact Analysis .................................................................................................. 57 8. Mitigation Plan .......................................................................................................... 61 ii ` 9. Alternatives ............................................................................................................... 66 a) Breakwater types ................................................................................................... 66 b) Quay wall ........................................................................................................... 66 c) Design ................................................................................................................... 66 d) Disposal of dredged material ............................................................................. 66 e) The no project scenario ......................................................................................... 67 10. Monitoring and Reporting ....................................................................................