Review: Social Impact Assessment of island reconstruction - Maldives

The NCEA reviewed a Social Impact Assessment (SIA) that serves as an addendum to an EIA for a post-tsunami reconstruction project of Vilufushi island.

Significant details

In 2005, FMO asked the NCEA to advise on the process and contents of an EIA for a land reclamation project of Vilufushi island in the Maldives. This request resulted in advice on ToR. Subsequently, the NCEA was requested to review the EIA report. After this review, FMO decided that the application for this project would be approved, under the condition that a socio-economic addendum would be prepared. The resulting Social Impact Assessment (SIA) report was sent to the NCEA, with a request for review.

The NCEA issued an advice of the secretariat in which it presented the results of this review. General comments included:

• The SIA gives a good description of the pre-tsunami situation at the island, although some elements are missing;
• It gives due attention to concerns of residents, but does not give recommendations to solve the issues;
• The SIA is generally weak in providing recommendations to mitigate negative impacts;
• Given the fact that reconstruction works under the project have already started, there is little opportunity for implementing recommendations to improve the SIA.

Advisory reports and other documents

16 Jan 2007: Other