Report: Jaxlee
Minister of Environment Energy and Water Ahmed Abdulla has revealed that work is already underway to find a solution to the issue of beach erosion of Fuvahmulak and that a at least Mrf.90 Million would be required to construct a suitable sea wall using large boulders and to provide shore protection.
Minister Abdulla said so while answering a parliamentary question from Mohamed Ibrahim Didi (Modi), MP for Fuvahmulak at Majlis session held yesterday.
Minister Abdulla said that teams from Environment Ministry visited Fuvahmulak on May 2006 and July 2007 to conduct surveys of eroded areas. Approximately 1900 meters of beach on the eastern side of the island are being eroded Minister said. Minister Abdulla said the reasons for such erosions are due to changes to natural habitat, damages to the surrounding reefs as well as global warming and climate changes.
“This survey has shown that these reasons increase with increasing population, development and use of natural resources” Minister Ahmed Abdullah said.
He further said that a lot of work needs to be done to find a solution for the Fuvahmulak soil erosion problem. He said that the experts, after examining has said that Mrf 32 Million would be spent to temporarily protect the worst eroded area.
“It is of deep concern that 90% of the Maldivian islands face the problem of soil erosion. But work to protect these islands are delaying due to insufficient budgets” Minister Ahmed Abdullah said.
But the Minister said that there is hope of getting Rf 32 Million which is needed for the first phase of this work, in the year 2008. He also said that work is under way to find a way to get river sand and aggregate at a cheap rate so that sand need not be taken from the beaches and also sand being taken during harbor reclamation could be made given back to the island.
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