Eia Ro Seenu Gan PDF

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
for the setup of an RO plant at Equator Village,
Gan‐ Addu Atolll, Maldives.
Client: Gan Invest Maldives Pvt, Ltd
Signature:
Prepared by
Ahmed Jameel & Abdul Aleem for Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd., Maldives

October 2010
EIA for the setup of RO plant at equator Village, Gan‐Seenu Atoll
1 Table of Contents
1 Table of Contents ...................................................................................................... 2
2 Table of Figures ......................................................................................................... 6
3 List of Tables ............................................................................................................. 6
4 List of Acronyms ........................................................................................................ 7
5 Executive Summary ................................................................................................... 8
6 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 9
6.1 Structure of this EIA Report .......................................................................................... 9
6.2 Aims and Objectives of the EIA ..................................................................................... 9
6.3 EIA Implementation...................................................................................................... 9
6.4 Terms of Reference ..................................................................................................... 10
7 Project Setting ......................................................................................................... 11
7.1 Overview ..................................................................................................................... 11
7.2 Applicable Policies, Laws and Regulations ................................................................... 11
7.3 Environmental Protection and Preservation Act .......................................................... 11
7.4 Second National Environment Action Plan (1999) ........................................................ 12
7.5 National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan ............................................................ 13
7.6 Consultation and Public Participation Laws ................................................................. 13
7.7 Environmental Permits required for the Project .......................................................... 13
7.7.1 EIA Decision Statement ................................................................................................................ 13
7.8 Regulations for Installing and Operating Desalination Plants in the Maldives .............. 14
7.9 Roles and Responsibilities of Groups Involved ............................................................. 14
7.9.1 Environment Ministry .................................................................................................................. 15
7.9.2 Environmental Protection Agency ............................................................................................... 15
7.9.3 Project Proponent ........................................................................................................................ 15
7.9.4 Environmental Consultants .......................................................................................................... 15
8 Project Description .................................................................................................. 16
8.1 Description of the Project Proponent .......................................................................... 16
8.2 Project Location and boundary .................................................................................... 16
8.3 Need and Justification ................................................................................................. 17
8.4 Project Duration .......................................................................................................... 17
8.5 Description of the Project Components ....................................................................... 18
8.5.1 Location of the RO Plant and Plant House ................................................................................... 18
8.5.2 Capacity of RO Plant .................................................................................................................... 18
8.5.3 Method of Feed Water Intake ..................................................................................................... 18

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8.5.4 Energy for the RO Plant ............................................................................................................... 18
8.5.5 Operational Staff .......................................................................................................................... 18
8.5.6 Description of the beach well ...................................................................................................... 18
8.5.7 Properties of Output Water ......................................................................................................... 18
8.5.8 Disposal of Concentrated Brine ................................................................................................... 18
8.5.9 Water Quality Monitoring ............................................................................................................ 19
8.5.10 Water Production Process ....................................................................................................... 19
8.5.11 Project Inputs .......................................................................................................................... 19
8.5.12 Project Outputs ....................................................................................................................... 20
8.6 Project Schedule and Life Span .................................................................................... 22
9 Methodology ........................................................................................................... 23
9.1 Mapping and Location Identification ........................................................................... 23
9.2 Ground Water Quality Assessment .............................................................................. 23
9.3 Marine Environment Surveys ....................................................................................... 23
9.4 Aerial Photos ............................................................................................................... 23
10 Existing Environment ........................................................................................... 24
10.1 Geography ................................................................................................................... 24
10.2 Hazards and Disasters .................................................................................................. 24
10.2.1 Natural Vulnerability of the Island of Gan ............................................................................... 24
10.3 Climatic Setting ........................................................................................................... 28
10.3.1 Monsoons ................................................................................................................................ 28
10.3.2 Rainfall ..................................................................................................................................... 28
10.3.3 Temperature ............................................................................................................................ 29
10.3.4 Wind ........................................................................................................................................ 29
10.3.5 Waves ...................................................................................................................................... 30
10.3.6 Tides ........................................................................................................................................ 30
10.3.7 Currents ................................................................................................................................... 31
10.4 Existing Terrestrial Environment .................................................................................. 32
10.4.1 Terrestrial flora and fauna ....................................................................................................... 32
10.4.2 Groundwater ........................................................................................................................... 32
10.4.3 Existing Groundwater Quality .................................................................................................. 32
10.5 Existing Marine Environment ....................................................................................... 34
10.5.1 Section Brief ............................................................................................................................ 34
10.5.2 Marine Water Quality .............................................................................................................. 34
10.5.3 Description of Marine Environment ........................................................................................ 34
10.5.3.1 Marine environment at the feed water intake location ..................................................... 34
10.5.3.2 Marine environment at the brine discharge location ......................................................... 34
11 Environmental Impacts ........................................................................................ 35
11.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 35
11.2 Impact Identification ................................................................................................... 35
11.3 Identifying Mitigation Measures .................................................................................. 36

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11.3.1 Mitigation Options ................................................................................................................... 36
11.4 Existing Environmental Concerns ................................................................................. 37
11.4.1 Natural Hazard Vulnerability ................................................................................................... 37
11.5 Constructional Impacts ................................................................................................ 37
11.5.1 Civil works ................................................................................................................................ 37
11.5.1.1 Impacts ................................................................................................................................ 37
11.5.1.2 Mitigation Measures ........................................................................................................... 38
11.5.2 Construction of the plant house .............................................................................................. 39
11.5.2.1 Impacts ................................................................................................................................ 39
11.6 Operational Impacts .................................................................................................... 39
11.6.1 Energy Use and Air Quality ...................................................................................................... 39
11.6.1.1 Impacts ................................................................................................................................ 39
11.6.1.2 Mitigation measures ........................................................................................................... 39
11.6.2 Groundwater Quality ............................................................................................................... 39
11.6.2.1 Impacts ................................................................................................................................ 39
11.6.2.2 Mitigation ............................................................................................................................ 39
11.6.3 Coral Reef and the Marine Environment ................................................................................. 40
11.6.3.1 Impacts ................................................................................................................................ 40
11.6.4 Impact of Rising Marine Water Temperature ......................................................................... 40
11.6.4.1 Impacts ................................................................................................................................ 40
11.6.5 Positive economic Impacts ...................................................................................................... 40
11.6.5.1 Impacts ................................................................................................................................ 40
11.6.6 Health Impacts ......................................................................................................................... 41
11.6.6.1 Impacts ................................................................................................................................ 41
12 Stakeholder Consultations ................................................................................... 43
12.1 Consultation with the client ........................................................................................ 43
12.2 Consultation with Southern Utilities company ............................................................. 43
12.3 Consultations with the hotel staff and management ................................................... 43
12.4 List of Persons Consulted ............................................................................................. 44
13 Alternatives ......................................................................................................... 45
13.1 No Project Option ........................................................................................................ 45
13.2 Design Alternatives ..................................................................................................... 45
13.3 Alternative Locations for the plant house .................................................................... 45
13.4 Alternative Method for Feed Water Intake .................................................................. 46
13.5 Alternative water source ............................................................................................. 47
13.6 Alternative for RO Plant Installation ............................................................................ 47
13.7 Preferred Alternative ................................................................................................... 47

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13.7.1 Mitigation Measures for the Preferred Alternative ................................................................ 47
14 Environmental and Social Impact Monitoring ...................................................... 49
14.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 49
14.2 Cost of Monitoring ...................................................................................................... 49
14.3 Aspects of monitoring ................................................................................................. 49
14.4 Methods of monitoring ............................................................................................... 49
14.5 Monitoring responsibility ............................................................................................ 49
14.6 Monitoring Report ....................................................................................................... 50
15 Conclusion and Recommendations ....................................................................... 53
16 Declaration of the consultants ............................................................................. 54
17 References ........................................................................................................... 55
18 Annex: EIA Terms of Reference ............................................................................ 56
19 Annex: Map of Equator Village showing the Project Site ...................................... 57
20 Annex: Site Plan of the RO Plant House within the premises ................................ 58
21 Annex: Photos of the project site. ........................................................................ 59
22 Annex: Guidelines for water quality ..................................................................... 61
23 Annex: Commitment from the client to undertake the Monitoring....................... 62
24 Annex: Output Water Quality .............................................................................. 63

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2 Table of Figures
FIGURE 1: PROJECT SCHEDULE ................................................................................................................................... 22
FIGURE 2: CYCLONIC WIND HAZARD MAP (ADOPTED FROM, UNDP 2006) ...................................................................... 25
FIGURE 3: EARTHQUAKE HAZARD ZONE (ADOPTED FROM UNDP, 2006) .......................................................................... 26
FIGURE 4: TSUNAMI HAZARD ZONES (ADOPTED FROM UNDP, 2006) .............................................................................. 27
FIGURE 5: EXISTING GROUNDWATER WELL IN THE PREMISES ............................................................................................ 59
FIGURE 6: PROPOSED LOCATION OF THE RO PLANT ....................................................................................................... 59
FIGURE 7: EXISTING GROYNE ON THE NORTH SIDE ALONG WHICH THE INTAKE PIPE WILL BE LAID. ............................................ 59
FIGURE 8: THE NORTHERN SIDE FACE OF THE HOTEL ....................................................................................................... 60
FIGURE 9: CORAL RUBBLE MOUND GROYNE ALONG WHICH THE INTAKE PIPE WILL BE LAID. .................................................... 60
3 List of Tables
TABLE 1: ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF STAKEHOLDERS DURING THE EIA PROCESS .......................................................... 14
TABLE 2: MATRIX OF MAJOR INPUTS DURING CONSTRUCTION PERIOD ............................................................................... 19
TABLE 3: MATRIX OF MAJOR OUTPUTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE DURING CONSTRUCTION STAGE ............................... 20
TABLE 4: MATRIX OF MAJOR OUTPUTS OF ENVIRONMENTAL SIGNIFICANCE DURING OPERATIONAL STAGE ................................. 21
TABLE 5: KEY METEOROLOGICAL INFORMATION ............................................................................................................ 28
TABLE 6: TIDAL LEVELS AT HULHULÉ. .......................................................................................................................... 31
TABLE 7: SUMMARY OF GROUNDWATER, SEAWATER AND SWIMMING POOL WATER QUALITY AT EQUATOR VILLAGE ................... 33
TABLE 8: SUMMARY OF THE IMPACTS AND THEIR CHARACTERIZATION ............................................................................... 42
TABLE 9: ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF THE NO PROJECT OPTION ......................................................................... 45
TABLE 10: PROPOSED MONITORING PROGRAMME ........................................................................................................ 51

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4 List of Acronyms

DO Dissolved Oxygen
EC Electrical Conductivity
EIA Environmental Impact Assessment
EPZ Environmental Protection Zone
ERC Environmental Research Centre
g/L Grams per Litre
GIS Geographical Information Systems
GPS Global Positioning System
IEE Initial Environmental Examination
IDC Island Development Committee
LIT Line Intercept Transect
lpd Litres per Day
MEEW Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water
mg/L Milligrams per Litre
MHUD Ministry of Housing and Urban Development Board
MPND Ministry of Planning and National Development
mS/cm Millisiemens per Centimeter
MWSA Maldives Water and Sanitation Authority
MWSC Male' Water and Sewerage Company
NTU Nephlometric Turbidity Unit
ppt Parts per Thousand
PQ Photo Quadrate
RO Plant Reverse Osmosis Plant also commonly known as RO Plant
STELCO State Electrical Company Ltd
TC Total Coliform
FC Faecal Coliform
TDS Total Dissolved Solids
ToR Terms of Reference
UNDP United Nations Development Programme
uS/cm Microsiemens per Centimeter
WHO World Health Organization

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5 Executive Summary

• This report discusses the findings of an environmental impact study undertaken by Water
Solutions Pvt. Ltd. for the establishment of a RO desalination plantat Equator Village, in
Gan island, Seenu Atoll.
• The aim of this project is to ensure that the hotel has adequate and continuous supply of
safe water for their daily operational needs.
• The proponent of this project is Gan Invest Maldives Pvt, Ltd.
• The purpose of this EIA is to identify all significant environmental impacts (positive and
negative, direct, indirect and cumulative). This is to ensure that any potential negative
consequences that may arise from the proposed activities are avoided or minimized and
any potential benefits from the project are maximized.
• The project aims to setup a 100 tonnes per day water production RO plant. It is proposed
to take the raw water direct from the lagoon.
• In order to undertake the study, baseline environmental surveys were undertaken within
the project boundary. A groundwater quality assessment was undertaken to assess the
baseline quality of groundwater (within the boundary of the Equator Village). The results of
these are discussed in the relevant sections.
• The project does not have any major negative environmental issues, but rather have found
to have more positive impacts. Discharge of concentrated brine has been identified as the
most important impact as far as the environment is considered, but not considered
significant as disposal is proposed to the open sea.
• The project will have several benefits to the hotel, including access to safe water
depending on the demand and not having to depend on the main water supply of the
island, which is not only inadequate, but also contaminated.
• Few alternatives to the project has also been suggested. A detail monitoring plan has been
suggested towards the end with details of the costs. It is important to undertake this
monitoring in order to abide the EIA regulations. The report also provides recommendation
to improve the project.

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6 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 project of setting up a Reverse Osmosis desalination plant or RO plant at Equator
Village, a city hotel located in Gan‐Seenu Atoll. The aim of this project is to ensure that the resort
has access to safe and adequate water to meet their needs.
The project proponent is Kaimoo Hotels and Travel Services who is the operator of the hotel.
6.1 Structure of this EIA Report
This report has been structured to meet the requirements of the EIA Regulations 2007 issued by
the Ministry of Housing and Environment. Hence, the report will provide an executive summary at
the beginning. The report will then describe the project in detail, existing environmental
conditions, project justifications and predicted impacts of the proposed project. This will be
followed by describing the alternatives of the proposed project in terms of location, design and
technologies. Finally, a mitigation plan and a monitoring programme for both constructional and
operational phase of the proposed project will be outlined.
The major findings of this report have been based on qualitative and quantitative assessments
undertaken during the site visit in October 2010. In addition, information provided by the operator
and other stakeholders has been utilised. The impact assessment methodology has been restricted
to the collected field data, available long term data, stakeholder consultations as well as
experience and professional judgment.
6.2 Aims and Objectives of the EIA
The objective of the report is to:
• Promote informed and environmentally sound decision making.
• 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 social aspects of the project are addressed.

6.3 EIA Implementation
This EIA has been prepared by a local environmental consulting firm, Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Water Solutions have been chosen by the client as the environmental consultants to undertake the
EIA of this project. The team members for this project include:
Abdul Aleem, BSc (Env.Health), MPH, (EIA Registration no: EIA 09/07)
Ahmed Jameel BEng (Environmental), MSc (Hazard and Disaster Management) (EIA
Registration no: EIA 07/07)
Mohamed Riyaz, ‐ Assistant Surveyor

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6.4 Terms of Reference
The terms of reference (ToR) for this EIA have been attached as an annex. This EIA has been
prepared based on these terms of reference.

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7 Project Setting
7.1 Overview
The project takes place in the Maldives Environment. Therefore, the extent to which the project
conforms to existing plans, policies, guidelines, regulations and laws of the Maldives needs to be
considered. Hence, this section will look at the context in which the project activities take place
and the legal and policy aspects relevant to those activities. It is important to note that the project
is of a local and regional scale and also has some bearing at a national context.
7.2 Applicable Policies, Laws and Regulations
There are few environmental policies, regulations and standards of specific relevance to the
project. These are considered in this section. The main legal instrument pertaining to
environmental protection is the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act (Law No. 4/93) of
the Maldives passed by the Citizen’s Majlis in April 1993. This Act provides the Ministry of
Environment, Energy and Water with wide statutory powers of environmental regulation and
enforcement. This umbrella law covers issues such as environmental impact assessment, protected
areas management and pollution prevention.
Water and Sanitation regulations, standards, guidelines and design criteria are of specific
relevance. However, there are no regulations on water and wastewater in force except the
National Desalination Regulation, which was passed by the Government in 2001. A set of
regulations on water and sanitation was drafted by an international consultant in 1999. However,
there was no further development of these draft regulations.
7.3 Environmental Protection and Preservation Act
The main legal instrument pertaining to environmental protection and preservation for sustainable
development in the Maldives is the Environmental Protection and Preservation Act (Law No. 4/93)
passed by the Citizen’s Majlis in April 1993. The following clauses of the Environmental Protection
and Preservation Act (Law No. 4/93) are relevant to the project:
• Clause 5a: An impact assessment study shall be submitted to the Ministry of Environment,
Energy and Water before implementing any development project that may have a
potentially detrimental impact on the environment.
• Clause 5b: 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.
• Clause 6: The Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water has the authority to terminate
any project that has an undesirable impact on the environment. A project so terminated
shall not receive any compensation.
• Clause 9a: The penalty for minor offences in breach of this law or any regulations made
under this law, shall be a fine ranging between Rf5.00 (five Rufiyaa) and Rf500.00 (five
hundred Rufiyaa), depending on the actual gravity of the offence. The fine shall be levied

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by the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water or by any other government authority
designated by that Ministry.
• Clause 9b: Except for those offences that are stated in (a) of this clause, all major offences
under this law shall carry a fine of not more than Rf100,000,000.00 (one hundred million
Rufiyaa), depending on the seriousness of the offence. The fine shall be levied by the
Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water.
• Clause 10: The government of the Maldives reserves the right to claim compensation for
all damages that are caused by activities that are detrimental to the environment. This
includes all activities mentioned in Clause No. 7 (stated below) of this law as well as those
activities that take place outside the projects that are identified here as environmentally
damaging.
• Clause 7 (a) Any type of wastes, oil, poisonous gases or any substance that may have
harmful effects on the environment shall not be disposed within the territory of the
Maldives.
• Clause 7 (b) In cases where the disposal of the substances stated in paragraph (a) of this
clause becomes absolutely necessary, they shall be disposed only within the areas
designated for the purpose by the government. If such waste is to be incinerated,
appropriate precautions should be taken to avoid any harm to the health of the
population.
Clause 5 is of specific relevance to this EIA. The EIA Regulations, which came into force in May 2007
has been developed by the powers vested by the above umbrella law.
7.4 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;

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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, especially impact assessment, stakeholder
consultation, biodiversity conservation and human settlement and urbanisation.
7.5 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 conservation.
In implementing the proposed project activities due care has to be taken to ensure that the
national biodiversity strategies are adhered to. In fact, surveys were undertaken at the design
stage to find out if biological resources of value and protected nature are affected by the proposed
project. There will not be any cutting of trees to construct the plant house as it will be setup in
open space.
7.6 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 stakeholder views into consideration. In fact,
stakeholder consultations were conducted in order to take their opinion, views, suggestions and
expectations into consideration. Chapter 15 will provide details of the Stakeholder Consultations.
7.7 Environmental Permits required for the Project
7.7.1 EIA Decision Statement
The most important environmental permit to initiate construction work in Equator Village would
be a decision regarding this EIA from the Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water. The EIA
Decision Statement, as it is referred to, shall govern the manner in which the project activities
must be undertaken. This EIA report assists decision makers in understanding the existing
environment and potential impacts of the project. Therefore, the Decision Statement may only be
given to the Proponent after a review of this document following which the Ministry may request
for further information or provide a decision if further information is not required. In some cases,
where there are no major environmental impacts associated with the project, the Ministry may
provide the Decision Statement while at the same time requesting for further information.

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7.8 Regulations for Installing and Operating Desalination
Plants in the Maldives
There is a set of regulations in the Maldives consisting of 19 clauses that governs the installation
and operation of desalination plants in the Maldives. This project will conform to all the 19 clauses
of this regulations.
7.9 Roles and Responsibilities of Groups Involved
There are various organizations and parties involved in the EIA process. There are national agencies
responsible for environmental protection as well as the key stakeholders and the project
proponent, each with a role and responsibility within the EIA process. One key principle in EIA
implementation is to involve these groups and provide them the opportunity to participate in the
EIA process so that their concerns are addressed. This section discusses the roles and
responsibilities of national groups involved in the EIA system, with specific focus on the proposed
project. Table below provides a summary of the roles and responsibilities of each group in the
different stages of the EIA process.

Table 1: Roles and Responsibilities of Stakeholders during the EIA Process
Stage Environment Proponent EIA Other Govt Public and

Ministry Consultants Agencies Interest
(ERC) Groups
Screening Screen Provide necessary Provide Raise issues

Project information technical and
advice concerns
Scoping Approve TOR Provide TOR Prepare TOR Provide Participate

Review IEE Provide IEE Prepare IEE comments/ in
feedback consultation
EIA study Provide Provide EIA Prepare EIA Participate

scope/ Comment
Approve TOR
Review Review EIA Revise EIA Assist in

review
Comment
Approval Approve EIA Provide Approve

Attach terms technical relevant
advice components
Environmental Implement Conduct Implement w

Management mitigation monitoring Monitoring
measures and
monitoring
programme
Post Audit and Evaluate Provide necessary Assist in the Provide info

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Evaluation project information audit to auditors
Source: Adapted from Lohani et al (1997)
7.9.1 Environment Ministry
The Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water plays the main role within the Government for
implementing EIA and other environmental matters. It has central control over environmental
protection and related issues. Water has specific focus and a Section within the Ministry has been
established for water and sanitation. This section has two wings: a planning wing and an
implementation wing.
The Environment Research Centre (ERC) of the Ministry has responsibility for efficient operation of
the EIA process. This encompasses a number of tasks, including screening of projects and provision
of general procedural advice to the project proponents throughout the EIA process. ERC manages
the review of the EIA report and is responsible for any approvals or recommendations associated
with the EIA. ERC is playing a commendable role in the EIA administration process although it still
lacks the capacity to undertake audits and enforce environmental monitoring during construction
and post‐construction stage.
7.9.2 Environmental Protection Agency
Former Maldives Water and Sanitation Authority (MWSA) and presently a section under EPA is the
government authority responsible for water and wastewater regulation in the Maldives. EPA’s
regulatory functions and capacity are still at an infant stage. Under the proposed project, EPA will
provide the Authority Criteria and Guidelines for water quality. EPA would also assist in preparing
the scope of the EIA and evaluating the EIA proposed for the project. EPA will issue a License to
install the proposed RO plant once the proponent registers the plant. EPA is also the regulatory
body to ensure that the water quality is maintained according to international guidelines.
7.9.3 Project Proponent
The project proponent is the party responsible for the effective implementation of the project. The
proponent for the proposed project is Kaimoo Travels and Hotel Services.
7.9.4 Environmental Consultants
As the EIA forms an integral part of the project, the EIA component needs to be integrated which
would help in the design of the project in a sustainable manner. Water Solutions was contracted to
undertake the EIA for the project.

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8 Project Description
8.1 Description of the Project Proponent
This project is proposed by Gan Invest Maldives Pvt, Ltd. Ninety Nine percent of the sharesin Gan
Invest Maldives is held Kaimoo Travels and Hotel Services. Kaimoo Hotels and Travels have wide
experience in hospitality service in the Maldives. With over 20 years experience, this company has
seen tremendous changes in the way tourism was developed in the Maldives. Kaimoo Hotels is
committed to providing excellence in service and have fine‐tuned its resorts and hotels to suit the
requirements of the average traveler. The proponent is engaged in a number of tourism related
hotels and resorts in Male and outside Male’ and includes the following resort and hotel portfolios
among other businesses.
Embudu Village is a three star resort suited both for the active adventurer and people who like to
do nothing at all. It is located only half an hour by fast boat from Male' International Airport. The
resort is operated by the proponent.
• Summer Island Village is an all‐inclusive three star resort in north Male’ atoll.
• Equator Village is located in Gan, the very southern end of Maldives. This is a city hotel.
• Mookai Suites is an apartment complex based in Male’.
• KAM hotel is a five star hotel in Male’.
• Sakamoo, an apartment style hotel based in Male’.
• KAI lodge, a guest house in Male’.
All these properties were developed and are managed by the proponent. In addition, the
proponent also has other business establishments outside Maldives.
8.2 Project Location and boundary
Seenu Atoll (S) is located between latitude 0° 36' S and 0° 44' S south of the equator. Addu Atoll is
the second populous atoll apart from Male'. The project takes place in the island of Gan within the
boundary of Equator Village, a city hotel based on the north of the island. Equator Village is located
in the Gan Island , approximately 1 Km from Gan International Airport. Gan Island is 5 Km length
and 3 Km width. It is one of the largest Islands in Addu Atoll.
The proposed project is limited within the boundary of the Equator Village (see site plan for
details). The project will install and setup a 100 ton RO plant on the north‐west side of the property
premises and a pipe network will be setup to distribute water to the rooms and other facilities. The
project boundary is therefore the hotel with emphasis on the north‐west side. Equator village is
located on the north‐west side of Gan in Seenu atoll. The geographical coordinates are
0°41'14.95"S and 73° 8'48.93"E. The hotel is operated by Kaimoo Travels and Hotel Services. The
hotel caters to mostly European clients and throughout the year, the hotel is visited by guests from
a variety of countries. During the peak tourist season in Maldives, the resort’s bed capacity reaches
to approximately 80 %.

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8.3 Need and Justification
At present, the power and the water for the resort’s purpose is obtained through the main
power grid and the water supply of Gan respectively. Presently, the hotel is faced with
water supply and water quality issues that are affecting the operations negatively and at a
very significant level. Following are some of the water related issues faced by the hotel
due to being dependent on the main water supply network.

‐ Not enough supply: Dependence on the island’s Water supply system creates water
availability issues that are beyond the control of the hotel operations. Water for
the hotel is required continuously and consistently in order to ensure that guest
services and the smooth operation of the resort is not affect. Fluctuations in the
quantity of water available are creating difficult operational issues and guest
complaints. Depending on the overall water demand for GAN, water availability
keeps fluctuating and there are times when water is not sufficiently available for
the hotel operations.

‐ Guest complains: Due to the water shortage issues, the hotel is constantly
bombarded with guest complains, that is not only affecting the hotel’s operation,
but the overall image of the tourism sector.

‐ Smelly water: The main water supply in Gan is derived from ground and is not
suitable for consumption in a resort as most of the time the water is smelly. At
times, the water has a very high percentage of impurity and suspended solids.
According to the hotel staff, the water supply in GAN has lot of issues and as a
result, it is causing the foul odour. Such water cannot be justified to be made
available in a resort, which is not only an operational issue, but a health hazard to
the staff and guests.

‐ Negative affects to the hotel operations: The present water issues faced by the
resort are causing a major impact on the operation of the resort. Guests and tour
operators are continuously pressuring the resort management to have an
independent and safe water supply which is directly linked with the hotel
operations.

Hence, for these reasons, an in house desalination system is urgently necessary in order to
run the hotel more smoothly.
8.4 Project Duration
The proposed project is expected to be completed within a maximum of six months.

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8.5 Description of the Project Components
8.5.1 Location of the RO Plant and Plant House
The RO plant will be located in the north‐west corner of the hotel boundary. The area is open and
does not contain any vegetation except grass (see annex for photos). The adjacent area contains
the laundry and the tennis courts, hence there will be minimal disturbance to guest rooms.
8.5.2 Capacity of RO Plant
The proposed project will install a 100 m3 day RO plant. The plant will be purchased by an
approved supplier. The RO plant will be installed and commissioned by the supplier. Once the RO
plant is commissioned, it will be tested and registered with EPA before water is used in the hotel.
8.5.3 Method of Feed Water Intake
Due to the shorter distance from the seashore to the plant site and the composition of beach, it
has been proposed to construct a beach well for feed water intake. The beach well will be placed in
the lagoon and the pipe connected to it. Feed water will then be drawn from the beach well. The
beach well will be constructed using concrete and placed in the lagoon.
8.5.4 Energy for the RO Plant
Southern Utilities have confirmed that they have enough spare capacity available for the operation
of the RO plant. Hence, electricity for the RO plant will be obtained from the GAN island main
electricity grid.
8.5.5 Operational Staff
The engineering department will employ two operators.
8.5.6 Description of the beach well
The beach well will be constructed using cement. It will be a cylindrical well with a height of 4 feet
and a diameter of 3 feet. Both, top and the bottom will be covered with and the sides will be
perforated with holes to allow water to seep in to the well.
8.5.7 Properties of Output Water
On average, the daily output of potable water will be 80 cubic meters per day (product water) and
the output quality will be as per the WHO standards (If product water). Product water refers to
water that is distributed for consumption. Although the water will not be used for drinking
purpose, the water will adhere to these standards as it will be used for cooking among other uses.
8.5.8 Disposal of Concentrated Brine
It is proposed to dispose the concentrate brine in to the northern lagoon 70 meters east of the
intake location. This area is indicated in the site plan attached. The receiving environment is prone
to strong waves and long shore currents, which is expected to dilute the concentration of brine.
There is no concern for the brine to be accumulated near the feed‐water area. Baseline conditions

Page 18

of the receiving environment have been studied both at the intake location and discharge location
to understand and record the types of corals and marine life existing in this area. Details of the
survey are described under the section “Existing Marine Environment”.
8.5.9 Water Quality Monitoring
Weekly water quality monitoring will be undertaken by the hotel to ensure that the output water
quality is safe. Water will be tested by sending samples to either Hithadhoo Regional hospital
laboratory or to Male’.
8.5.10 Water Production Process
The water production process will follow the following hierarchy.
• Saltwater intake from the lagoon at 5 bar pressure using pumps located on land inside the
RO plant room.
• Pre‐treatment of the intake water using filtration, sedimentation etc.
• Reverse osmosis by passing the water through the membrane using high pressure pumps.
• Storage and treatment of product water in storage tanks.
• Distribution of water to the hotel through pressurized system to the outlets (guest rooms
and main facilities). Water quality monitoring will be undertaken weekly. The present
piping system will be connected to the product water distribution network.
8.5.11 Project Inputs
The types of resources that will go into the project and from where and how these will be obtained
are given in the following table.
Table 2: Matrix of major inputs during construction period
INPUT RESOURCE(S) SOURCE/TYPE HOW TO OBTAIN RESOURCES
Construction workers Maldivians Open bidding to contractors from Addu Atoll.

(5)
Water supply Groundwater Groundwater from the island (GAN)

(construction period)
Electricity/Energy Gan island’s main power grid. Through the utilities company.

(construction period)
Construction machinery Concrete mixer and general Local suppliers

construction tool
Telecommunications obile phones, fax and Already this services is available in the island

telephone
Transport (sea) Materials to be transported Already established. Contractor to be in
from one of the connected charge of this.
islands, either Feydhoo,

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INPUT RESOURCE(S) SOURCE/TYPE HOW TO OBTAIN RESOURCES

Maradhoo, maradhoo‐
Feydhoo or Hithadhoo. All
construction debris will be
disposed to the waste
disposal site in Addu atoll
hithadhoo.
Food during Available from the hotel / Available from the island / hotel

construction period island
Ordinary Portland Approximately 250 Bags Purchase from local sources

Cement
Sand Approximately 500 to 800 Purchase from local sources

Bags
8.5.12 Project Outputs
The type of outputs (products and waste streams) and what is expected to happen to the outputs
are given in the next table.
Table 3: Matrix of major outputs of environmental significance during construction stage
PRODUCTS AND WASTE ANTICIPATED METHOD OF DISPOSAL / CONTROL

MATERIALS QUANTITIES
Construction waste from 2 to 5 cubic meters of Dispose at the waste disposal site in Hithadhoo.

construction activities, debris in total and
mainly cement bags, general construction
timber, and other waste.
construction waste during
the construction of the
plant house.
Noise Localised to the Guest will be informed of the construction and

construction area only the time period for construction will be limited
to a minimum.
Air pollution Limited quantities of Mainly arising as a result of dust emission from

dust. the construction work such as cement mixing,
and other construction process while the plant
house is under construction. Only localised to
the area only.

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Table 4: Matrix of major outputs of environmental significance during operational stage
PRODUCTS AND WASTE ANTICIPATED METHOD OF DISPOSAL / CONTROL /

MATERIALS QUANTITIES DISTRIBUTION
Potable water (product Approximately 800m3 Store in storage tanks and distribute via the pipe

water) per day network to the hotel.
Concentrated brine Approximately 1800m3 Dispose to the marine environment, northern

per day side lagoon. Refer to the existing marine
environment.
Noise Localised to the plant Plant house will be enclosed so noise will be
house under control.
Co2 emission Not available. Indirect CO2 emission through the use of energy

for the operation. Not expected to be
significant.

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8.6 Project Schedule and Life Span
As soon as the EIA is approved and a decision statement is issued, work will commence for the
construction of the RO plant house and other civil works such as laying out the intake pipe and
brine discharge pipe.

2010 2011
Nov
Dec
Sep
Feb
Oct
Jan

Preparation of EIA report x x
Approval of EIA x
Construction of the Ro plant house x
Construction of the beach well x
Completion of the plant house x
RO plant installation x x
Commissioning and testing x
Figure 1: Project schedule

9 Methodology
The section covers methodologies used to collect data on the existing environment. The key
environmental components of this proposed project were ground water quality of the island
(within the hotel premises) and an assessment of the proposed intake and discharge locations and
the terrestrial environment. In addition the economic environment and the hazard vulnerability of
the island were assessed.
The following data collection methodologies were used during the field visit undertaken in
October 2010.
9.1 Mapping and Location Identification
The location of data collection sites were marked using a handheld GPS. These data collection
points include groundwater sampling locations, marine water sampling locations and the proposed
location for the RO plant and brine discharge location.
9.2 Ground Water Quality Assessment
Groundwater quality was assessed by collecting samples from two locations that were selected
from the island using YSI 6820 multi parameter handheld water quality meter. In addition, water
quality was also tested at the National Health Laboratory. Groundwater wells existing in the
premises of the hotel were used to test the water.
9.3 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 (discharge
location). Two methods were primarily used to collect data, namely:
• Detail photo transect,
• Qualitative surveys through visual observations.
Purpose of the surveys was to define and establish marine environmental baseline conditions for
impact evaluation during and after the proposed project. Surveys were 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 project. Surveys
include quantitative and qualitative methods. In addition, photos were taken for comparison.
9.4 Aerial Photos
Aerial photos were obtained to compliment the GPS mapping.

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10 Existing Environment
This section will discuss the existing environmental conditions of the hotel premises.
10.1 Geography
Seenu Atoll (S) is located between latitude 0° 36' S and 0° 44' S south of the equator. Addu Atoll is
the second populous atoll apart from Male'. The project takes place in the island of Gan within the
boundary of Equator Village, a city hotel based on the north of the island. Equator Village is located
in the Gan Island , approximately 1 Km from Gan International Airport. Gan Island is 5 Km length
and 3 Km width. It is one of the largest Islands in Addu Atoll.
10.2 Hazards and Disasters
10.2.1 Natural Vulnerability of the Island of Gan
The islands of the Maldives have natural characteristics which make them vulnerable to disasters
such as tsunami. An island’s Natural Vulnerability depends on geographic and geomorphologic
characteristics of the island. These include geographic features of the island like the side of the
country where the island is located, the formation of the island, location of the island with respect
to the atoll, orientation of the island, region of the country where island is located, level of shadow
to the island from the reefs and other islands; area of the inland lake found on the island, width of
the island’s house reef, coastal defence structures on the island, shape of the island and the area
of the island.
A Model to Integrate the Management of Hazards and Disasters in the National Sustainable
Development Planning of the Maldives which was developed as part of the Masters of Science
(Hazard and Disaster Management) thesis at the University of Cantebruy (2007) identified the
relationship between natural characteristics of the island and the natural vulnerability of the
islands using the data that was collected following the Indian Ocean Tsunami. Based on this
research, the natural vulnerability of Gan Island was found to be high for earthquake hazards while
the vulnerability is low for cyclonic wind hazards and flooding disasters caused by high waves or a
tsunami approaching the island from the east.
The following figures indicate the vulnerability of Gan Island (Addu Atoll) to Cyclonic wind hazard,
earthquake hazard and Tsunami hazard respectively.

Page 24

Male'
Very High
High
Moderate
Low
Very Low
Equator

Figure 2: Cyclonic Wind Hazard Map (adopted from, UNDP 2006)

Page 25

Very High
High
Moderate
Low
Very Low
Equator

Figure 3: Earthquake Hazard Zone (adopted from UNDP, 2006)

Page 26

N
S
Probable Max Wave Hight

Very High 320 - 450 cm
S High 250 - 320 cm
S Safer Island Moderate 80 - 250 cm
Airport Low 30 - 80 cm
Atoll Capital Low Less than 30 cm
Equator
0 50 100 150 200 Km

Figure 4: Tsunami Hazard Zones (adopted from UNDP, 2006)

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10.3 Climatic Setting
The Maldives, in general, has a warm and humid tropical climate with average temperatures
ranging between 25°C to 30°C (MHAHE, 2001) and relative humidity ranging from 73 per cent to 85
per cent. The country receives an annual average rainfall of 1,948.4mm. There is considerable
variation of climate between northern and southern atolls. Table 5 provides a summary of key
meteorological findings for Maldives. General studies on climatic conditions of Maldives were
taken into account during study as local level time‐series data are limited for longer periods at the
nearest meteorological station.
Table 5: Key meteorological information
Parameter Data
Average Rainfall 9.1mm/day in May, November

1.1mm/day in February
Maximum Rainfall 184.5 mm/day in October 1994
Average air temperature 30.0 C in November 1973

31.7 C in April
Extreme Air Temperature 34.1 C in April 1973

17.2 C in April 1978
Average wind speed 3.7 m/s in March

5.7 m/s in January, June
Maximum wind speed W 31.9 m/s in November 1978
Average air pressure 1012 mb in December

1010 mb in April
10.3.1 Monsoons
Monsoons of Indian Ocean govern the climatology of the Maldives. Monsoon wind reversal plays a
significant role in weather patterns. Two monsoon seasons are observed: the Northeast (Iruvai)
and the Southwest (Hulhangu) monsoon. Monsoons can be best characterized by wind and rainfall
patterns. The southwest monsoon is the rainy season which lasts from May to September and the
northeast monsoon is the dry season that occurs from December to February. The transition
period of southwest monsoon occurs between March and April while that of northeast monsoon
occurs from October to November.
10.3.2 Rainfall
Annual average rainfall in Maldives is about 1900mm. There is a marked variation in rainfall across
Maldives with an increasing trend towards south. The annual average rainfall in north is 1977mm
and for south is 2470mm.
The southwest monsoon is known as the wet season with monthly average rainfall ranging from
125‐250mm. The northeast monsoon is known as the dry season with average monthly rainfall of
50‐75mm.
Rainfall records indicate an average annual rainfall of 2500mm. The intensity of rainfall is a concern
in the Maldives since intensity is high with low frequency. Excessive rainfall may be a concern for
GAN since the island lies in the south of Maldives.
10.3.3 Temperature
Daily temperatures of Maldives vary little throughout the year with a mean annual temperature of
28°C. The annual mean maximum temperature recorded for Male’ during the period 1967‐1995
was 30.4°C and the annual mean minimum temperature for the same period was 25.7°C. The
highest recorded temperature for Male’ was 34.1°C on 16th and 28th of April 1973. The hottest
month recorded was April 1975 with a maximum monthly average temperature of 32.7°C, the next
highest being 32.6°C in April 1998. The lowest minimum average temperature of 23.7°C was
recorded in July 1992.
10.3.4 Wind
Wind has been shown to be an important indirect process affecting formation, development and
seasonal dynamics of the islands in the Maldives. Winds often help to regenerate waves that have
been weakened by travelling across the reef and they also cause locally generated waves in
lagoons. Therefore winds are important here, as being the dominant influence on the sediment
transportation process (waves and currents). With the reversal of winds in the Maldives, NE
monsoon period from December to March and a SW monsoon from April to November, over the
year, the accompanying wave and current processes respond accordingly too. These aspects have
ramification on the seasonal sediment movement pattern on the islands and also the
delivery/removal of sediments from the reef platform/island. These also determine where
structures such as jetties and mooring areas in resorts are located and this data is vital in
determining this at the design stage.
The two monsoon seasons have a dominant influence on winds experienced across Maldives.
These monsoons are relatively mild due to the country’s location close to the equator and strong
winds and gales are infrequent. However, storms and line squalls can occur, usually in the period
May to July; gusts of up to 60 knots have been recorded at Male’ during such storms.
Wind was uniform in speed and direction over the past twenty‐plus monsoon seasons in the
Maldives (Naseer, 2003). Wind speed is usually higher in central region of Maldives during both
monsoons, with a maximum wind speed recorded at 18 m.s‐1 for the period 1975 to 2001.
Maximum wind speed recorded in the south was 17.5 m.s‐1 during the period 1978 to 2001. Mean
wind speed was highest during the months January and June in the central region, while wind
speed was in general lower and more uniform throughout the year in the southern region. Wind
analysis indicated that the monsoon was considerably weaker in the south (Naseer, 2003). During
the peak months of the SW monsoon, southern regions have a weak wind blowing from the south
and south‐eastern sectors.

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10.3.5 Waves
Wave energy is important for sediment movements and settlement, and it is also a crucial factor
controlling coral growth and reef development. Waves have been attributed to the diversity and
the abundance of coral and algal species. These aspects have implications for the type and perhaps
the supply of sediment s into the island.
Studies by Lanka Hydraulics (1988a & 1998b) on Malé reef indicated that two major types of waves
on Maldives coasts: wave generated by local monsoon wind and swells generated by distance
storms. The local monsoon predominantly generates wind waves which are typically strongest
during April‐July in the south‐west monsoon period. During this season, swells generated north of
the equator with heights of 2‐3 m with periods of 18‐20 seconds have been reported in the region.
Local wave periods are generally in the range 2‐4 seconds and are easily distinguished from the
swell waves.
Distant cyclones and low pressure systems originating from the intense South Indian Ocean storms
are reported to generate long distance swells that occasionally cause flooding in Maldives (Goda,
1988). The swell waves that reached Malé and Hulhule in 1987, thought to have originated from a
low pressure system of west coast of Australia, had significant wave heights in the order of 3
metres.
In addition, Maldives has recently been subject to earthquake generated tsunami reaching heights
of 4.0m on land (UNEP, 2005). Historical wave data from Indian Ocean countries show that
tsunamis have occurred in more than one occasion, most notable been the 1883 tsunami resulting
from the volcanic explosion of Karakatoa (Choi et al, 2003).
Gan is exposed to waves generated by swells combined with short‐wind‐generated waves
travelling outside the atoll from south , east and north‐east side during the two monsoons. Waves
breaking on the eastern side may be considered to be stronger because of the narrow reef extent
on this side in comparison to the southern side.
10.3.6 Tides
The tidal regime is semi‐diurnal with diurnal inequalities (twice daily). That means 2 high tides and
2 low tides per day, with different heights. Typical spring and neap tidal ranges are approximately
1.0 m and 0.3 m, respectively.
Tides in the Maldives are mixed semi‐diurnal / diurnal. There are no permanent tidal record.
Binnie Black & Veatch (SEA) (2000) gives tide levels at Hulhule relative to Mean Sea level, chart
datum (Lowest Astronomical Tide Level) (Table 6).
Tidal level Referred to MSL (taken as 0.56m Referred to Chart Datum (Source:
above Chart Datum) Admiralty Tide Tables, Vol 3)
Highest Design Water Level (JICA, + 1.08m + 1.64m

1992)

Page 30

Highest Astronomical Tide (HAT) + 0.64m + 1.2m
Mean Higher High Water (MHHW) + 0.34m + 0.9m
Mean Lower High Water (MLHW) + 0.14m + 0.7m
Mean Sea Level (MSL) 0.0m + 0.56m
Mean Higher Low Water (MHLW) - 0.16m + 0.4m
Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) - 0.36m + 0.2m
Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT) - 0.56m 0.0m
Table 6: Tidal levels at Hulhulé.
The tidal levels given above are predicted astronomical tide levels. In reality, the tide levels may
vary from the predicted levels at a given time and location due to meteorological conditions at the
location. However, variation in Mean Sea Level in the Maldives, according to the Department of
Meteorology, is negligible.
10.3.7 Currents
Studies on current flow within a reef flat in Male’ Atoll suggests that wave over wash and tides
generate currents across the reef platforms, which are also capable of transporting sediments
(Binnie Black & Veatch, 2000). However, available information suggests that tidal currents are not
strong due to small tidal range.
Generally, current flow through the Maldives is driven by the dominating two‐monsoon season
winds. Westwardly flowing currents are dominated from January to March and eastwardly from
May to November. The change in currents flow pattern occurs in April and December. In April the
westward currents flow are weak and eastward currents flow will slowly take place. Similarly in
December eastward currents flows are weak and westward currents will take over slowly.
Studies on current flow process within a coral atoll have shown that waves and tides generate
currents across the reef platforms, which are capable of transporting sediments on them. Currents,
like waves are also modified by reef morphology. Under low‐input wave conditions (0.5m heights),
strong lagoon ward surge currents (>60cm/sec) are created by waves breaking at the crest. Studies
on current flow across reef platforms have shown that long‐period oscillations in water level cause
transportation of fine‐grained sediments out of the reef‐lagoon system, while strong, short
duration surge currents (<5sec.) transport coarse sediments from the breaker zone to seaward
margin of the backreef lagoon. Always sediment accumulates at the lee of high‐speed current
zones. Generally zones of high current speed (jets or rips, 50‐80cm/sec) are systematically located
around islands.

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10.4 Existing Terrestrial Environment
For this project, groundwater has been considered as the component of the terrestrial
environment that will be studied and described as the project is related to the groundwater
quality.
10.4.1 Terrestrial flora and fauna
The proposed project site where the plant house is to be constructed is empty land and no trees
will be cut. The area is only covered in green grass and hence, there will only be the loss of grass
found on the footprint of the building. No plants or any plants that is home to birds will be
required to cut in this project.
Refer to annex to see the photos of the project site.
10.4.2 Groundwater
Generally, the islands of the Maldives have superficial groundwater lenses below about a metre of
coralline sandy soil with a very narrow humus layer on top. The groundwater lenses so formed are
formed due to density differences between percolated rainwater and saltwater beneath the island.
The freshwater lens floats on top of the saltwater. This makes it extremely fragile and prone to
saltwater intrusion due to over‐abstraction. This is the problem experienced in GAN.
For the purpose of this assessment, groundwater wells existing inside the premises of the hotel
boundary were tested. The results are illustrated in the following table.
10.4.3 Existing Groundwater Quality
The groundwater wells were visually inspected, and samples were tested for electrical conductivity
(salinity) and various other parameters, namely pH, TDS, DO and Phosphates and Nitrates.
Summary of the water quality results are attached as an annex. During the survey, it was observed
that wells were covered and had a pungent smell.

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Table 7: Summary of groundwater, seawater and swimming pool water quality at Equator Village
Well 1 Well 1 Seawater at Seawater at Swimming pool

(G1) (G2) intake location discharge location water
(S1) (S2)
pH 8 8.2 8 8 9.4
EC (uS/cm) 2580 3200 57700 57700 3000
TDS (mg/L) 1221 1593
TDS (g/L) 33.6 33.6
Temp (C) 30.9 26.8 29.4 28 29
Salinity (ppt) 1.2 1.6 35 35 1.4
Nitrate (mg/L) 12.5 5.6 0 0
Phosphate 3.9 2.4 0.8 0
(mg/L)
Turbidity (NTU) ‐ ‐ 1.5 1 0

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10.5 Existing Marine Environment
10.5.1 Section Brief
This section will look at the existing marine environment of the project site with specific emphasis
on the northern lagoon where concentrate brine will be discharged and also in areas where the
pipeline will be laid to intake the water.
10.5.2 Marine Water Quality
The primary objective of the marine water quality sampling was to determine the baseline
conditions of the marine water quality of the lagoon at two locations, that is the RO feed water
intake location and the brine discharge location. Table 7 outlines the results of the water quality
test.
10.5.3 Description of Marine Environment
10.5.3.1 Marine environment at the feed water intake location
The feed water intake location was surveyed to assess the status of coral reef and the amount of
live corals. The feed water intake location is away from the reef and close to the existing groyne.
The lagoon in this area does not have any live corals and contains dead rock. The area also contains
rock debris from the breakwater that was constructed during the British occupation. As this area
does not contain any live corals, during the survey, no fish species were recorded within a time
period of 15 minutes, except some gobies and pipefish, that were found at the lagoon bottom.
10.5.3.2 Marine environment at the brine discharge location
The brine location was surveyed to assess the status of coral reef and the amount of live corals.
The location is also away from the reef and close to an existing groyne, within the boundary of the
hotel. The lagoon in this area does have only sand and no live corals. Efforts to count any fishes
were not productive as very few species of fish were found, in the range less than 10. Fish species
identified were 3 gobies and 7 Surgeonfishes.

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11 Environmental Impacts
11.1 Introduction
This section covers potential environmental impacts due to proposed setup of a desalination plant
at Equator Village. The section also describes the mitigation measures for each identified impact.
Analysis of environmental issues within the lifecycle of the project identifies the major issues and
concerns that are likely to evolve over the life of a project. For the proposed project, these issues
include location and design of the plant house, constructional and operational impacts and the
positive economic benefits. The environmental aspects of the project would impact upon the
following resources or elements of the environment.
Groundwater – quality and quantity
Coral reef areas around the outfall locations – marine biodiversity
Marine and coastal water quality
Lagoon and beaches – aesthetics
Economic benefits
The potential environmental impacts of various activities pertaining to project components during
planning and construction phase of the proposed project components and appropriate mitigation
measures are elaborated in the following sections.
11.2 Impact Identification
Impacts on the environment from various activities of the proposed development work
(constructional impacts) and operation of the RO plant (operational impacts) have been identified
through:
A consultative process within the EIA team
Existing literature on similar developments in small island environments and other
research data specific to the context of the Maldives
Baseline environmental conditions described in this report.
Possible negative impacts on the environment have been considered in worst‐case scenario to
recommend mitigation measures in the best possible ways so that these impacts would be
minimized and perhaps eliminated in both constructional and operational phases.
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:
1. Negligible – the impact is too small to be of any significance;
2. Minor adverse – the impact is undesirable but accepted;

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3. 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 judgement as to its
acceptability;
4. 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.
Since it is difficult to distinguish between direct impacts (i.e. resulting directly from a specific
activity) and indirect impacts (i.e. induced by a series of ecological, social or economic knock on
effects and bearing no apparent connection to any specific activity), such distinction has not been
made. All possible impacts that may be related to project specific activities have been discussed.
11.3 Identifying Mitigation Measures
Where an impact identified can be mitigated, mitigation measures are identified and discussed
along with the identification of the impact. For existing environmental concerns or impacts,
mitigation measures have been identified. The mitigation measures proposed will help to alleviate
environmental problems before they occur. Mitigation measures are important because if
identified impacts are significant and/or important, it would be necessary to identify and
implement mitigation measures. Mitigation measures are selected to reduce or eliminate the
severity of any predicted adverse environmental effects and improve the overall environmental
performance and acceptability of the project. Where mitigation is deemed appropriate, the
proponent should strive to act upon effects, in the following order of priority, to:
1. Eliminate or avoid adverse effects, where reasonably achievable.
2. Reduce adverse effects to the lowest reasonably achievable level.
3. Regulate adverse effects to an acceptable level, or to an acceptable time period.
4. Create other beneficial effects to partially or fully substitute for, or counter‐balance,
adverse effects.
11.3.1 Mitigation Options
Possible mitigation options include:
Design alterations (e.g., different location for discharge outfalls, etc.)
Work method alterations (e.g. changes in construction scheduling)
Provision of environmental protection and health and safety equipment (e.g., provision of
first aid or noise mufflers, pollution abatement equipment) – this is not relevant for this
project.
Changes in management practices (e.g., contractor’s awareness on environmental issues,
keeping work areas clean, public awareness).

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Changes in operation (e.g. operational procedures, specific responsibilities for clean up and
maintenance).
11.4 Existing Environmental Concerns
11.4.1 Natural Hazard Vulnerability
The natural vulnerability of Gan Island was found to be moderate for earthquake hazards and low
for cyclonic wind hazards and flooding disasters caused by high waves or a tsunami approaching
the island from the east. However, the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami has been a warning that Indian.
Gan was not affected during the tsunami of 2004. The proposed location for RO plant is considered
as the same level as the island and being close to the shore, is not considered to be a risk arising
from flooding. Therefore, there will be no need for designing mitigation measures for such events.
11.5 Constructional Impacts
Construction is often a stage where the environmental impacts are underestimated, but in fact is
very real and can be damaging. As construction requires lot of processes that typically impact the
location by bringing about physical modifications, environmental impacts are felt almost in every
aspect. Very often if these impacts are not mitigated, they may result in more significant long term
environmental problems which may be more difficult to rectify. The purpose of this section
therefore is to summarize the measures that can be undertaken during the construction stage to
mitigate the impact on environment during the construction stage. These recommendations may
seem exhaustive; nevertheless they must be followed if impacts are to be mitigated. In most
instances, these recommendations only require little effort which only needs to be considered
during construction stage. In this regard, the impact and mitigation measures recommended
during the construction stage are summarized below. These measures reflect the general aspects
of the construction phase that involves both land and marine based activities.
11.5.1 Civil works
11.5.1.1 Impacts
The undertaking of the proposed setup of a RO plant at Equator Vilage involves multiple tasks and
use of machinery and other construction processes that will have its related impacts on the
environment. During the construction stage, environmental impacts are likely to occur as civil
works will be undertaken. This work will result in generation of noise and dust during the
construction stage. It may also induce some sedimentation of the immediate lagoon during laying
of the intake and outfall pipe of the RO plant. However, sedimentation will not considered to be an
issue as the plant is located in close proximity to the lagoon and there is very little excavation
required from the pipe to the lagoon intake position.
The impact from civil works in the construction phase will have the direct short‐term impacts and
long‐term impacts on the island’s terrestrial and marine environment. These impacts will result
from the following activities.
Excavation and laying of the intake and outfall pipe of the RO plant

Page 37

Excavation of the ground to construct the plant house.
Possibility of sedimentation from excavated soil in case of rain
Noise impacts during construction period.
Minor sedimentation arising from the works undertaken in the lagoon, especially while
fixing the beach well and laying the intake and outfall pipes.
Most of these activities are considered to have minor environmental impacts. Impacts of
constructional noise would be moderate to significant as to the environment as well as the guests.
The equator village compound has high percentage of trees on which bird species such as Dhon
Dheeni breed and nest. Hence, during the construction stage, noise could impact the birds if there
is excessive noise.
There will be negligible impact on the flora of the island as the location in which the plant house is
to propose to be constructed does not have any trees. Excavation works to lay the concrete
footings of the plant house building is also considered to have negligible impacts on the
groundwater aquifer and does not require detailed analysis. Intake and outfall pipes will be laid
above the groundwater table. Hence, there would be very minimal need for dewatering as the
groundwater table is well below 2 meters from the ground level.
Minor impacts will also arise from sedimentation of the lagoon during the process of laying the
intake and outfall pipes and fixing the beach well on the lagoon. This impact is considered to be
minor.
11.5.1.2 Mitigation Measures
The following measures to minimize general impacts of construction will help to reduce or mitigate
the impacts.
During the construction stage all activities to be properly supervised to ensure that
construction is according to the required specification or standards.
Appropriate waste handling, transportation and disposal methods for all waste generated
during the construction works should be implemented to ensure that construction wastes
do not pollute the environment.
Ensure that no leaks and accidental spillages of oil occur from any machinery used in the
construction stage.
Careful control should be exercised to ensure that no materials and machinery fuels enter
the marine environment and cause contamination.
Construction of the intake and outfall pipe should be done with minimal destruction to the
physical marine environment by minimizing activities like excavation of the sea bed etc.
Dewatering, if required to be undertaken as per the dewatering regulation set by MWSA.

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Lay the pipes above the groundwater table and away from any sewer lines as much as
possible, that is inside the Equator Village premises.
11.5.2 Construction of the plant house
11.5.2.1 Impacts
Construction of the plant house will not have any impact on the trees, as the area is free from
trees. However, during the construction stage, there will be noise impacts from construction work.
Ensure that noise minimization measures are undertaken such as proper supervision of the work
and ensuring that only the necessary works are undertaken. Also construction area should be
limited to the areas that require construction and a proper perimeter defined.
11.6 Operational Impacts
11.6.1 Energy Use and Air Quality
11.6.1.1 Impacts
Extra emissions from power plant due to the increase energy use will contribute to CO2 emissions.
This impact is considered as an indirect impact and minor. In the case of the RO plant in Equator
Village, it is expected that its operations would contribute very little towards the national
emissions of greenhouse gases .
11.6.1.2 Mitigation measures
Green house gas emissions can be reduced by reducing or maintaining the operation to a
minimum. This can be achieved through increasing product water storage capacity, regular
monitoring of water demand to understand the peak demand periods both during the day and
during the month among other measures. These measures will become more effective once the
operation begins which will provide useful information to enable achieve the mitigation measures.
11.6.2 Groundwater Quality
11.6.2.1 Impacts
With the availability of fresh, clean and safe water, it is likely to ease the demand for groundwater
for other uses. For example, this project will provide water for the entire hotel, meaning that there
will be an overall reduction in water demand and hence the burden on the groundwater aquifer of
GAN island. Less demand means less extraction, so although minor, there will be an overall
reduction of groundwater use and an increase in groundwater quality.
11.6.2.2 Mitigation
No mitigation required.

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11.6.3 Coral Reef and the Marine Environment
11.6.3.1 Impacts
The effluent in the waste is a heavily concentrated brine solution. Discharge of brine and chemicals
from anti‐corrosion, anti‐scaling and anti‐fouling agents that may be used during the operational
phase of the RO plant may cause adverse impacts on the marine environment such as algal growth
(Hoepner 1999). After the brine solution is discharged, it has the potential to kill marine organisms.
Although the brine solution contains natural ingredients of the seawater it may cause damage by
its unnatural concentration to marine population near the outlet. Another concern is the Chemicals
from pre treatments and from membrane periodical cleaning that can harm the habitat. The
proposed discharge location is a surf zone with strong waves and currents. In addition, the
immediate marine environment is subjected to strong current flow and a very large water body
that is unenclosed. Therefore, the discharge of concentrated brine is not expected to be very
significant. The existing marine environment of the disposal site does not contain any live corals as
the reef is further north. Hence no damage to live corals will occur.
Minimizing the chemical use will reduce their concentration and hence will reduce the impact on
marine environment. Alternatively, the discharge pipe should be ideally close to the reef or in very
deep water and in an area with strong currents, so that dilution will take place more effectively.
Current studies undertaken on the day of the survey reveal that the predominant direction of flow
is towards east to west. Another mitigation option is to dilute the brine by mixing it with grey
water from the resort before discharge.
11.6.4 Impact of Rising Marine Water Temperature
11.6.4.1 Impacts
The discharged waste has the potential to raise the temperature of coastal waters near the outlet.
This can have adverse effect on marine life and water quality. In case of Gan, due to the high wave
action on the northern shore, the temperature of the receiving environment is not expected to rise
due to the large surface area.
11.6.5 Positive economic Impacts
11.6.5.1 Impacts
Access to ample, safe and adequate water will have several economic benefits to the hotel since;
the ground water of GAN is considered to be polluted. Although rainwater is harvested in the
resort, it is not even close to being adequate for the whole resort’s operation. With the project in
place, the hotel staff and guests will have access to safe and adequate amounts of water. This is a
direct positive influence to attracting and retaining more customers to the hotel and increases the
value of the hotel.

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Not required
11.6.6 Health Impacts
11.6.6.1 Impacts
Safe water is an essential component of public health, whether it is a community or a hotel or a
resort. Availability of safe water means that diseases caused by unsafe water can be reduced
significantly such as diarrhoeal diseases (if it is used for drinking) and skin diseases. Availability of
safe water in hotels will ensure that guests have access to safe water. The overall reduction of
these health risks will reduce the disease burden and ease the health system to function more
efficiently. Hence, the project will greatly benefit the well being of the hotel staff and guests.
Not required

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Table 8: Summary of the Impacts and their Characterization
Environmental Nature of impact Magnitude of impacts Significance of the impact Duration of Reversibility

Aspect (negligible/minor /minor (low/moderate/high) Impact
adverse/moderate adverse/major
adverse/ positive)
Construction stage impacts
Civil works Cumulative Minor Low Short term Reversible
Construction of the beachwell Cumulative Minor Low Short term Reversible
Noise and air pollution Cumulative Moderate Moderate Short term Reversible
Generation of construction debris Cumulative Minor Low Short term Irreversible
Operational Impacts
Energy use and air quality Cumulative Minor Low Long term Irreversible
Increased demand for water Cumulative Moderate adverse Moderate to high Long term Irreversible
Groundwater quality Cumulative Minor / Positive Low to moderate Long term Reversible
Coral reef and the marine environment Cumulative Minor Low Long term Reversible
Rising marine water temperature Cumulative Negligible Low Long term Reversible
Positive socio‐economic impacts Cumulative Positive High Long term Irreversible
Health impacts Cumulative Positive High Long term Irreversible

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12 Stakeholder Consultations
For the purpose of this project, stakeholder consultations were limited to the following
parties.
12.1 Consultation with the client
Consultation was held with the client with regard to the project.
The summary of the discussions brought forward were:
• The client has had several discussions with the utilities company in an effort to
solve this problem. However, although the Utilities company has informed that
they were planning an island wide water distribution network, it was not clear
when the project would be launched as there were several obstacles and
administrative procedures to overcome.
• Water shortages and water quality issues are almost a daily occurance and
complaints from guests are made almost on a daily basis.
• The water is not only smelly, but yellowish in colour which is proving to be
impossible to deal with.
• In addition to guest complaints, several tour operators are also intensifying their
pressure to solve this problem.
• Water is not only used by guest, but also it is a basic requirement for staff as
well. Hence
12.2 Consultation with Southern Utilities company
Consultations were held with the Utilities company with regard to additional energy
requirements for the RO plant. According to the company, their power capacity would be
sufficient to provide power for the RO plant.
12.3 Consultations with the hotel staff and management
Consultations were held with selected staff of the hotel with regard to the water issues.
Following are the issues identified.
• The hotel’s water is not suitable for human use.
• Water is smelly and yellowish in colour.
• There are guest complaints almost on a daily basis.

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12.4 List of Persons Consulted
Following are the names and designation of persons consulted.
Name Designation Office
Mr.Aboobakuru Yusuf Operations and guest Kaimoo Travels and Hotel

relations manager services.
Mr.Wishvalingam General Manager Equator Village
Mr. Marusoom Dive school instructor Equator Village
Ms. Vareesha Mohamed Receptionist Equator Village

Ms. Shamanaz Rasheed Receptionist Equator Village

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13 Alternatives
EIA Regulation requires two alternatives to be suggested for such projects and therefore two
alternatives have been suggested in addition to the no project alternative. These
alternatives are discussed below:
13.1 No Project Option
Table 9: Advantages and disadvantages of the no project option
Strategy Advantages Disadvantages

Not implement this project • No capital cost to the • Public health problems
proponent. related to lack of safe
• No maintenance cost to water continues to
the proponent. increase for both guests
and staff.
• The land proposed for
the RO plant setup can • Risk of diseases for
be utilized for some groundwater water
other purpose or left as users.
empty space. • Cost the proponent in
• No concentrated brine terms of initial
discharge to the investments and ongoing
environment. cost.
• No need to drill a • RO plant operation

borehole, thus reduces requires additional
the cost. energy, hence cost of
operation is high.

13.2 Design Alternatives
13.3 Alternative Locations for the plant house
There are several alternative locations that can been considered. However, alternative
locations for the RO plant was not considered a significant issue as the project takes place in
the premises of the hotel. No community issues are expected to arise due to the location of
the RO plant. Water related infrastructure being a crucial component for the hotels
operation, it is generally believed that the location should be close to the main service areas
rather than close to public and guest facilities. One alternative that is proposed is to have
the RO plant in the staff area (see the site plan).
The advantage with this alternative option is that there would be less disaster risk to the
water plant infrastructure if wave inundation occurs. Whereas, the disadvantage with this
location is that it will be far away from the guest rooms and other main facilities and also will
require a longer pipe, both intake and discharge.

Page 45

Another disadvantage with this alternative option is that the water distribution piping to the
main guest facilties will have to pass through the main road, which means that the road
surface will have to be excavated to convey the pipes.
This would be logistically and technically more challenging as any such work will involve
considerable paper work and procedural protocols that has to be followed, all of which will
take time. Furthermore, permits from many authorities will have to be sort in order to do
this. Hence, there would be delays in implementing the project and it may extend to the
extent that the long wait may not even be feasible for the project. The present location
being close to the seaside is also more convenient in terms of its location with respect to
guest facilities and will not pose any difficulties as the plant house can be constructed
without requiring any further permits or approval. Therefore, the proposed location has
been chosen for these reasons as the most appropriate.
13.4 Alternative Method for Feed Water Intake
Alternative technology for this project has been considered for the feed water intake
method. A suggested alternative is to drill a borehole. The advantages of the borehole
against the existing method are analysed in the following table.
Feed water intake direct from the lagoon Feed water intake through a borehole.
• The intake pipe method may be • Borehole intake method is more

cheaper than a borehole, but suitable as the borehole will itself be
requires more maintenance as it is located in the premises of the RO
prone to more damage from severe plant compound and hence not
weather as well as from vandalism. exposed making it less prone to
• Feed water intake from the sea damage due to bad weather or
surface is also considered more vandalism.
contaminated than extracting from a • Intake water is clean and less
borehole as there are likely to be contaminated.
more contaminants in open waters • Setting up is expensive, requiring
such as high levels of sedimentation, skilled contractors with knowledge,
debris such as seagrass,garbage experience and properly maintained
etc. machinery and materials.
• Setting up this system is fairly • Due to the specialized nature of the
straightforward and cheap, hence it work, only very limited companies
becomes economically very are available within Maldives who
attractive. can undertake the work, thus the
• Does not require specialized skills cost is very expensive.
and machinery. • Borehole is expensive and normally
boring will be charged per hole. As
this method will require atleast two
holes, one as a backup, the cost
gets doubled.
• In comparison to a feed water intake
from the lagoon, the cost of a
borehole is roughly four times more
expensive.
So what is the best option for this project? In analysing the two methods, a feedwater intake

Page 46

has been opted over a borehole. The main reason behind this is that the proponent has only
eight(8) more years on the lease agreement after which, the possibility of extending the
lease is very unlikely. The government has already made an agreement with a foreign
investor to lease the entire island of GAN to be developed to international standards.
Therefore, in terms of investment, it is not economically feasible for the proponent to invest
on a borehole.
The proponent also understands the disadvantages of a feed water intake system, but even
after the disadvantages is compensated with the following, the actual cost would still be
much less than for a borehole system over a period of 8 years. Some of the methods of how
the disadvantages will be compensated are:
Making sure that the feed water pipe is of high density polythene and anchoring
with multiple concrete blocks to prevent it from damage.
Construct a beach well which will ensure that the intake water is filtered from debris
and garbage before drawing water.
Invest in sedimentation tanks to store feedwater before it is passed through the RO
plant. This is an investment that will have to be made even if the water is drawn
from a borehole. So it makes sense to go for a feed water intake form the lagoon.

Therefore, considering these issues, a feed water intake pipe is opted for this project.

13.5 Alternative water source
One way to minimize the environmental footprint is to source water from another source
such as a main water supply network in Gan. At present, there is no water supply in Gan
island except the existing groundwater system. Therefore, this option is not practical,
13.6 Alternative for RO Plant Installation
Although the present location for the RO plant poses no flooding risk, it is suggested to
install the RO plant on a raised platform so that the infrastructure will not be affected during
an event of flooding. The elevation of the platform has to be higher than the highest levels
in the island.
13.7 Preferred Alternative
The preferred alternative for this project is to install the RO plant and all other associated

infrastructure on a raised platform and have the feed water intake from the nearshore
lagoon.
13.7.1 Mitigation Measures for the Preferred Alternative
The following mitigation measures are proposed for the preferred alternative.
1. Ensure that the RO plant and other associated infrastructure is constructed and
installed on an elevated platform or foundation.
2. Undertaking appropriate leveling to ensure that the elevation is higher than the

Page 47

highest levels in the island.
3. Construct the platform/foundation using reinforced concrete to ensure that it can
support the infrastructure and extra dead loads.
4. Ensure that the RO plant and other associated infrastructure is well contained and
protected from rain.
5. Construct a beach well and have it fixed properly on the lagoon from where the
water would be drawn.
6. Lay the intake pipe using HDPE and fix concrete blocks to avoid damage from bad
weather.
7. Place the beach well at an adequate depth so that the top of the well is at least half
a meter from the lowest tide.

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14 Environmental and Social Impact Monitoring

14.1 Introduction
The environmental monitoring programme given below is for the proposed RO plant setup
project. The following environmental components will be monitored.
Ground water quality of the island (only limited to the boundary of the hotel) to
monitor changes in groundwater quality,
Coral reef monitoring for reef health and marine biodiversity around the outfall
Socio‐economic aspects of the project
Energy consumption of the project.
The proposed monitoring programme will be undertaken by awarding the monitoring
component to an independent consultant during and after the construction period. The
monitoring programme shall continue for a period of at least 1 year in order to understand
the impacts and benefits of the system. Annual monitoring reports (summarizing the
findings from the annual monitoring) need to be submitted to EPA at the end of each year
including monitoring records and field inspections during the construction phase.
It is important that information and experience gained through the monitoring activities are
fed back into the EIA evaluation and analysis system to improve the quality of future
assessment studies.
14.2 Cost of Monitoring
The cost indicated in Table 12 is for monitoring the project during the construction stage and
per annum during the operational stage. Monitoring will be undertaken by subcontracting
the work to an independent consultant or a consulting firm. Monitoring cost will be the
responsibility of the operator.
14.3 Aspects of monitoring
Monitoring will include marine, terrestrial (groundwater) and socio‐economic aspects only.
Summary monitoring reports will be provided every three months and final report will be
provided at the end of the construction stage and will adhere to Schedule M of the EIA
Regulations, 2007.
14.4 Methods of monitoring
Environmental monitoring will be undertaken using standard methods described in the
Methodology section.
14.5 Monitoring responsibility
Monitoring responsibility will be with the client and operator and financial provisions will be

Page 49

made in the project to undertake the monitoring.
14.6 Monitoring Report
A detailed environmental monitoring report is required to be compiled and submitted to the
Ministry of Environment / EPA after the construction stage and annually based on the data
collected for the monitoring the parameters included in the monitoring plan. This report will
need to be submitted in order to demonstrate compliance.
The report will include details of the site, strategy of data collection and analysis, quality
control measures, sampling frequency and monitoring analysis and details of methodologies
and protocols followed.

Page 50

Table 10: Proposed monitoring programme
Monitoring Attribute Indicator Methodology Monitoring Frequency Cost during Cost Per annum

(construction phase) (operational phase)
Construction Operational stage
stage
Marine environment
Marine water quality Physical Quantitative No required Every four months No cost $450.00
around the brine outfall appearance, pH, Onsite testing
location Salinity, Temp &
Electrical
Conductivity (EC)
, TDS
Percentage of live corals Percentage live Qualitative & No required Annually No cost $450.00
near the brine outfall cover Quantitative
(location from which
baseline survey was
undertaken)
Terrestrial Environment
Ground water pH, salinity, E‐ Quantitative No required Annually No cost $1,500.00
Conductivity,
TDS, nitrates and
phosphorus
Socio‐economic Environment
Guest complaints Increase or Records from No required Annually No cost $1,500.00
decrease in the resorts main
guest complaints office or
complaint
registry.
Information

Page 51

Monitoring Attribute Indicator Methodology Monitoring Frequency Cost during Cost Per annum

(construction phase) (operational phase)
Construction Operational stage
stage
from the tour
operators.
General opinion about Assess the Survey and No required Annually No cost $200.00

water quality and quantity satisfaction level interviews with
from staff and attitudes of hotel staff
the hotel staff
towards the
project.
General attitudes and Assess the Survey and No required Annually No cost $200.00
responses from repeat satisfaction level interviews with
guests and attitudes of repeat guests
repeat guests
towards the
project.
Energy consumption
Energy consumption Increase amount Records from No required Annually No cost ‐
in energy the resorts
spending. accounts
department

Page 52

15 Conclusion and Recommendations
It has been assessed that the most significant negative impacts from the proposed project
will be resulting from the discharge of brine in to the lagoon and the increase demand in
energy consumption. The impact period will be during the operational stage. Proper baseline
surveys have been undertaken in the marine environment where brine will be discharged.
The surveys indicate continuous current flow and wave action in the northern shore side
where brine will be discharged. Presence of less than 3% live corals and low fish diversity
and numbers are an indication that the marine environment will not be very significantly
affected. Regular monitoring has been suggested to ensure that this receiving marine
environment will be regularly in check.
The project aims to setup a 100 tonne per day water production RO plant and provide water
to meet the daily needs of the hotel. In light of this study, the following recommendations
are made. It is strongly recommended to undertake these measures to improve the project
output.
• The location of the RO plant has selected appropriately by choosing an area where
there are no trees and also in close proximity to the seaside. Although there is o
significant risk of flooding, it is recommended to construct the RO plan on an
elevated platform inside the plant house to avoid the risk of flooding in case there is
a severe flooding event. It is suggested to raise the foundation at least 3 to 4 feet
higher than the highest tidal levels. Raising the foundation to this level will not incur
very high cost.
• Construct a beach well to make sure that feed water is clean and clear from debris
and to provide that extra filtering.
• Operate the RO plant according to the demand, which is by strategically altering the
operational hours depending on the number of guests in the resort.
• Install adequate storage tanks to ensure that adequate water is stored to meet the
demands for at least a week in case if the RO plants breakdown. Increasing storage
tank will also reduce energy consumption, thereby reducing the carbon foot print.
• Sound proofing the plant house so that noise will not be a nuisance for guests as
well as the fauna, especially birds that take refuge in the trees in close proximity.
Based on the assessment, it appears that the project is environmentally and economically
justified. The project will have several benefits to the tourism industry and macro level
whereas there will be direct micro level benefits to the hotel and the staff. This project will
be an important milestone in reducing the health risk of the end users, namely the hotel
guests and the staff. It is the intention of the proponent to start this project as soon as
possible due to the urgency of the need. As the high tourist season is approaching, the hotel
will experience an influx of guests during the months of December to March, it is important
that safe and adequate water is available in the hotel.

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16 Declaration of the consultants
This EIA has been prepared according to the EIA Regulations 2007, issued by the Ministry of
Environment, Energy and Water. 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.
We certify that the statements in this Environmental Impact Assessment study are true,
complete and correct.
Name: Abdul Aleem ( EIA 09/07 )
Signature:
Name: Ahmed Jameel ( EIA 07/07 )
Signature:

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17 References
Beswick R. (2000). Water Supply and Sanitation, A Strategy and Plan for the Republic of
Maldives, Parts 1 & 2, Ministry of Health, Republic of Maldives.

Carpenter, Clive (2005), Water Resources Tsunami Impact Assessment and Sustainable
Water Recovery, Maldives

English, S., Wilkinson, C. and Baker, V. (1997). Survey Manual for Tropical Marine Resources.
Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville, Australia. 390pp.

Falkland A.C. (2000), Report on Groundwater Investigations, SDR, Maldives, October‐
November 2000, Regional Development Project, Phase One, Ministry of Atolls
Administration, Ministry of Planning and National Development, financed by Asian
Development Bank. MacAlister Elliott and Partners Ltd, OPT International and BFS Consulting
Group, December 2000.

Falkland, A. (2001), Report on Integrated Water Resources Management and Sustainable
Sanitation for 4 Islands, Maldives, Maldives Water and Sanitation Authority, Maldives
Hoepner, T (1999), A Procedure for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Seawater
Desalination Plants, Desalination, vol.124, pp. 1‐12.
MHAHE (2001), State of the Environment Report, Ministry of Home Affairs, Housing and
Environment, Maldives.

Ministry of Atolls Development Website: (accessed on the 3rd September 2008),
http://www.atolls.gov.mv

Ministry of Environment and Construction (2004), State of the Environment 2004, Maldives

NDC and MWSC (2000), Development of sewerage systems in the Atolls, Ministry of Health,
Maldives

Roe D, Dalal‐Clayton & Hughes, R (1995)., A Directory of Impact Assessment Guidelines, IIED,
Russell Press, Nottingham, UK.

Salvat, B (1997). Dredging in Coral Reefs. In Human Impacts on Coral Reefs: Facts and
Recommendations. B. Salvat, ed. Antene Museum . E.P.H.E., French Polynesia.

SoE (2002) State of the Environment Report 2002, Maldives. Ministry of Home Affairs,
Housing and Environment.

SoE (2004) State of the Environment Report 2004, Maldives. Ministry of Home Affairs,
Housing and Environment.
UNDP (2007), Detailed Island Risk Assessment in Maldives, Detailed Island Reports: Gdh.
Thinadhoo, vol.3, no. 1.

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18 Annex: EIA Terms of Reference

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19 Annex: Map of Equator Village showing the Project Site

Page 57

20 Annex: Site Plan of the RO Plant House within the

premises

Page 58

21 Annex: Photos of the project site.

Figure 5: Existing groundwater well in the premises

Figure 6: Proposed location of the RO plant
Figure 7: Existing groyne on the north side along which the intake pipe will be laid.

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Figure 8: The northern side face of the hotel

Figure 9: Coral rubble mound groyne along which the intake pipe will be laid.

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22 Annex: Guidelines for water quality

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23 Annex: Commitment from the client to undertake the

Monitoring

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24 Annex: Output Water Quality

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ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

Stage Environment Proponent EIA Other Govt Public and

Screening Screen Provide necessary Provide Raise issues

Scoping Approve TOR Provide TOR Prepare TOR Provide Participate

EIA study Provide Provide EIA Prepare EIA Participate

Review Review EIA Revise EIA Assist in

Approval Approve EIA Provide Approve

Environmental Implement Conduct Implement w

Post Audit and Evaluate Provide necessary Assist in the Provide info

Evaluation project information audit to auditors

INPUT RESOURCE(S) SOURCE/TYPE HOW TO OBTAIN RESOURCES

Construction workers Maldivians Open bidding to contractors from Addu Atoll.

Water supply Groundwater Groundwater from the island (GAN)

Electricity/Energy Gan island’s main power grid. Through the utilities company.

Construction machinery Concrete mixer and general Local suppliers

Telecommunications obile phones, fax and Already this services is available in the island

INPUT RESOURCE(S) SOURCE/TYPE HOW TO OBTAIN RESOURCES

Food during Available from the hotel / Available from the island / hotel

Ordinary Portland Approximately 250 Bags Purchase from local sources

Sand Approximately 500 to 800 Purchase from local sources

PRODUCTS AND WASTE ANTICIPATED METHOD OF DISPOSAL / CONTROL

Construction waste from 2 to 5 cubic meters of Dispose at the waste disposal site in Hithadhoo.

Noise Localised to the Guest will be informed of the construction and

Air pollution Limited quantities of Mainly arising as a result of dust emission from

PRODUCTS AND WASTE ANTICIPATED METHOD OF DISPOSAL / CONTROL /

Potable water (product Approximately 800m3 Store in storage tanks and distribute via the pipe

Concentrated brine Approximately 1800m3 Dispose to the marine environment, northern

Co2 emission Not available. Indirect CO2 emission through the use of energy

Probable Max Wave Hight

0 50 100 150 200 Km

Average Rainfall 9.1mm/day in May, November

Maximum Rainfall 184.5 mm/day in October 1994

Average air temperature 30.0 C in November 1973

Extreme Air Temperature 34.1 C in April 1973

Average wind speed 3.7 m/s in March

Maximum wind speed W 31.9 m/s in November 1978

Average air pressure 1012 mb in December

Highest Design Water Level (JICA, + 1.08m + 1.64m

Highest Astronomical Tide (HAT) + 0.64m + 1.2m

Mean Higher High Water (MHHW) + 0.34m + 0.9m

Mean Lower High Water (MLHW) + 0.14m + 0.7m

Mean Sea Level (MSL) 0.0m + 0.56m

Mean Higher Low Water (MHLW) - 0.16m + 0.4m

Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW) - 0.36m + 0.2m

Lowest Astronomical Tide (LAT) - 0.56m 0.0m

Well 1 Well 1 Seawater at Seawater at Swimming pool

3. Moderate adverse – the impact give rise to some concern but is likely to be tolerable in

Environmental Nature of impact Magnitude of impacts Significance of the impact Duration of Reversibility

Civil works Cumulative Minor Low Short term Reversible

Construction of the beachwell Cumulative Minor Low Short term Reversible

Noise and air pollution Cumulative Moderate Moderate Short term Reversible

Generation of construction debris Cumulative Minor Low Short term Irreversible

Energy use and air quality Cumulative Minor Low Long term Irreversible

Increased demand for water Cumulative Moderate adverse Moderate to high Long term Irreversible

Groundwater quality Cumulative Minor / Positive Low to moderate Long term Reversible

Coral reef and the marine environment Cumulative Minor Low Long term Reversible

Rising marine water temperature Cumulative Negligible Low Long term Reversible

Positive socio‐economic impacts Cumulative Positive High Long term Irreversible

Health impacts Cumulative Positive High Long term Irreversible

Mr.Aboobakuru Yusuf Operations and guest Kaimoo Travels and Hotel

Ms. Vareesha Mohamed Receptionist Equator Village

Strategy Advantages Disadvantages

• No need to drill a • RO plant operation