On behalf of the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM), the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) collaborated with the Maldives National Defence
Force (MNDF) and the Maldives Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prepare
an Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) atlas for Laamu Atoll in the Republic
of Maldives. ESI maps provide a concise summary of coastal resources that are
at risk if an oil spill occurs. Examples of at-risk resources include
biological resources, such as birds and fish; sensitive shorelines, such as
marshes and tidal flats; and human-use resources, such as subsistence gathering
or fish processing. According to the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), ESI maps can help
responders meet one of the main response objectives: reducing the environmental
consequences of the spill and the cleanup efforts. Additionally, ESI maps can
be used by planners—before a spill happens—to identify vulnerable locations,
establish protection priorities, and identify cleanup strategies.
The MNDF Vice Chief of Defense Force, Brig. Gen. Ahmed
Shahid, said, “The Maldives National Defence Force is profoundly grateful to
the U.S. Pacific Command for conducting the ESI Project in Laamu Atoll.” “The
successful completion of the project provided the MNDF with vital information
and resources that will greatly assist in shaping the response to an oil spill
or any other natural disaster in the Laamu Atoll region.”
“ESI mapping of the entire country remains the greater
objective, and, therefore, MNDF will endeavor to build on this achievement
working together with USPACOM,” added Shahid.
The Laamu Atoll ESI project took approximately 15 months
to complete. The project commenced in December 2014, following recommendations
from the South Asia Regional Environmental Security Form. The project was completed in three phases,
which included a scoping trip, field work, and the development and delivery of
the final ESI Geographic Information System (GIS) database and atlas. The result is an interactive electronic atlas,
hardcopy maps, and a robust GIS database.
The MNDF Coast Guard will utilize the final products to prioritize its
oil spill response actions in the atoll.
EPA will use the atlas to define new environmental sensitivity areas in
the atoll, reference its resource as an environmental baseline, and increase
awareness of the biological diversity of Laamu Atoll. MNDF and EPA are also now well equipped to
replicate the ESI methodology in other atolls, if necessary.
“The Laamu Atoll ESI project serves as a great example of
civil-military cooperation between the US and Maldives,” stated Mr. Christopher
Sholes, USPACOM Environmental Program Manager.
“All core team members needed to leverage each other’s capabilities to
succeed. It demonstrates that USPACOM,
MNDF, and the Maldives EPA prioritize environmental security in a changing
world.”
The Laamu Atoll ESI atlas includes detailed biological
resource, shoreline, and human-use mapping for more than 44 islands in the
atoll. USACE, MNDF and EPA conducted the
field work in August 2015, walking over 150 kilometers of shoreline to collect
the necessary information to prepare the atlas.
“During the field data collection, it be would sunny and
hot in the morning and rain in the afternoon,” said Staff Sgt. Ibrahim Faisal, who
is the J3/7 Non-Commissioned Officer In-Charge for the Maldives National
Defence Force. “We had to walk miles of sandy beach or rocky shore(lines), as
well as get into waist-high water in a single setting.”
The team experienced monsoon swells, along with the
environmental and logistical challenges unique to the Maldives.
“Though it was challenging, the team adapted,” said
Faisal “USACE, MNDF and EPA’s joint effort and planning led to the successful completion
of field work.”
The team also collected over 1,200 biological features,
and more than 800 human-use resources.
Coastal erosion and other miscellaneous information was also collected
using a standard data dictionary. The
results were compiled in a comprehensive GIS, which allows for the data to be
analyzed. For example, users of the
Laamu Atoll ESI database can now query the data to determine the most
vulnerable shorelines to a potential oil spill, as well as determine the
locations of specific biological or human resources.
Laamu Atoll was chosen as the project location given its
proximity to the One and a Half Degree shipping channel. Throughout the year, hundreds of large oil
tankers pass through the channel, carrying oil between Africa and Asia. If an accident were to occur, Laamu Atoll’s
unique ecosystem would be a risk.
Currently, Laamu Atoll has six locations already designated by the EPA
as environmental sensitive areas.
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