Enhance Climate Resiliency and Water Security in the Maldives Quarterly Performance Report (April - June 2015)

The project, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), aims to demonstrate processes and outcomes that will allow island communities to increase their resiliency to the impacts of global climate change. The project provides assistance to the Government of Maldives, primarily through the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MEE), as well as to residents and the island council of Lh. Hinnavaru, targeted to become a "climate resilient island" with USAID assistance. The project's objective is to enhance climate resiliency and water security in the Maldives by providing assistance to FENAKA, the national utility company, and local utility operators/managers. The project's scope includes the development of an Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan (EMMP) for the reverse osmosis plant and the regional laboratory, as well as the development of curricula for the operators and laboratory procedures certificate programs. During the quarter of April to June 2015, the project made significant progress on technical activities and deliverables. Task 1: Assessment, Design, and Mobilization involved the hiring of an environmental consultant to assist with the development of the EMMP and the development of an emergency plan for the RO plant and the regional laboratory. The field work was completed on May 8th, and the final deliverables are expected on September 10th. Task 2: Institutional Strengthening involved the consultants identified for the development of the curricula required to deliver the certificates in Drinking Water System Operations and Maintenance and in Water Quality Laboratory Procedures. These consultants started activities during this reporting period and are on track to submit the course structure documents to the Maldives National University Senate for approval as per the consultancy schedule. Task 3: Enhancing Community Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes involved the delivery of a training activity on composting processes, targeting Hinnavaru school students from grades 9 and 10. Five male and nine female students completed this training. Community leaders completed the sixth session of the composting pilot in Hinnavaru on April 4th. The project also made significant progress on graphic designs for the Public Awareness Campaign plan. Chemonics received approval for the groundwater recharge awareness material and reproduced it for distribution in Hinnavaru Island and among governmental entities and organizations working in fields similar to those covered by the Maldives GCC project. However, the project faced several challenges during this quarter. The construction schedule was revised once more, and the current completion of the civil works is expected in August 2016. This situation presents a challenge for the project as it affects several of the consultancies approved in the work plan. In addition to the delay in the construction component, the Government of Maldives requested higher specifications of construction materials that impacted the infrastructure budget and could affect the technical component of the Maldives GCC project. The tariff consultancy remained on hold during this reporting period, not only due to the imminent GoM issuance of a flat tariff to be applicable to all islands without an established tariff, but also due to a similar consultancy being implemented by UNDP as informed by MEE. The project presented seven scopes of work to MEE asking for their concurrence with the documents' content, and the Maldives GCC project received MEE's response on April 26th. The identification of an entity to partner with the Maldives National University to deliver guided practices for the level 3 certificate courses proved to be a challenge that the project successfully overcame when Maldives Water and Sewerage Company (MWSC) expressed its interest in joining the project on this initiative.