Shoreline Instability Study on Fun Island Resorts, Maldives

E. W. K. Loh, Thoufeeg Usamath, T. J. Deepak

School of Civil Engineering, Linton University College, Mantin, Malaysia.

DOI: 10.4236/jep.2012.310148                

Abstract

Shoreline changes induced by erosion and accretion are natural processes that take place over a range of time scales. They may occur in response to smaller-scale events, such as storms, regular wave action, tides and winds, or in response to large-scale events such as glaciation that significantly alter sea levels (rise/fall) and tectonic activities that cause coastal land subsidence or emergence. Environmental related issues are one of the major problems which the native islanders of the Maldives are facing throughout the history. The global warming and sea level rise have been a threat for the people of these islands. The scope of this paper is to find the shoreline instability of the coastal area along Fun Island Resort Maldives and aim is to find the abrasion, erosion on the coastal area of the island throughout the monsoon season. The coastal structures adopted as a protection against erosion has been damaged due to the 2004 Tsunami and the groynes are still to be repaired. A map was generated with the data collected on the topographic survey which shows that the maximum height of the vegetation line was found to be just +2.15 m above Mean Sea Level (MSL). Beach profiles around the island were taken to access the damage to the shoreline of the island.

Keywords

Erosion; Glaciation; Global Warming; Abrasion; Groynes

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

References

[1]	Commerce Development and Environment Pvt Ltd., “Initial Environmental Examination, Deppening of Entrance channel and Mooring Area.” Fun Island Resort South Male Atoll, Maldives, 2003.
[2]	Commerce Development and Environment Pvt Ltd., “Initial Environmental Examination, Deppening of Entrance Channel and Mooring Area,” Fun Island Resort South Male Atoll, Maldives, 2008.
[3]	Department of Meteorology (Dom), “Severe Weather Events in 2002, 2003 and 2004,” 2005. http://www.meteorology.gov.mv/default.asp?pd=climate&id=3
[4]	DHI, “Physical Modelling on Wave Disturbance and Break- water Stability,” Fuvahmulah Port Project, Denmark, 1999.
[5]	P. S.Kench, R. F. McLean and S. L. Nichol, “New Model of Reef-Island Evolution: Maldives, Indian Ocean,” Geology, Vol. 33, No. 2, 2005, pp.145-148.
[6]	Villa Shipping and Trading Company, “Environmental Impact Assessment Report, Re Development of Fun Island Resort, South Male’ Atoll, Maldives,” Land and Marine Environmental Resources Group Pvt Ltd., Maldives, 2008.
[7]	Villa Shipping and Trading Company, “Environmental Im- pact Assessment Report, Addendum 1; Re Development of Fun Island Resort, South Male’ Atoll, Maldives,” Land and Marine Environmental Resources Group Pvt Ltd., Maldives, 2010.