|
Protecting our Environment
Maldives, the dream destination of white sandy beaches and the crystal clear lagoons for so many people, consists of a fragile Eco system. The low-lying islands are in constant peril of sea-level rise and due to this degree of fragility, Maldives has gained much attention at national and global levels.
Since the beauty and natural resources of Maldives are strongly linked with the economic development of the country, the Government is taking extensive measures towards protecting the environment through heightening environmental awareness among the locals.
In 1989 the first National Environmental Action Plan was put into action forming a base for future actions to prevent environmental hazards. Over exploitation of natural resources such as coral mining was restricted in certain areas. The sea turtle, which is under threat of extinction, is protected and capturing them prohibited. Visitors are discouraged from buying objects made out of turtle shells.
Reefs are also protected and the locals made aware of hazards that may spoil the reefs such as dumping garbage and especially plastic bags into the sea. The fishermen have also changed some of their methods in order to protect and preserve the environment. For example, sport fishing practiced by some islands is now confined to tag and release method
In order to reduce the impending hazards of climatic change and sea level rise, the entire capital island Male is enclosed with sea walls as a protective measure. The people are made aware of the fragile balance of the environment and refrain from activities which may put their islands in jeopardy from soil erosion and other harmful effects.
In 1996, the President of Maldives His Excellency Maumoon Abdul Gayyoom initiated The Million Tree Programme? a greening programme under which nurseries were established nationwide and thousands of trees planted.
In 1997 under the theme Independent Maldives, Clean Maldives,? an extensive cleaning programme was launched nation wide. Today, the spirit still continues in an effort to keep our environment clean. Many resort islands retain the natural vegetation creating an environmentally sound atmosphere in the island. While effective waste management would completely take shape after few years, efforts are made to reduce risks of environmental hazards. The concept of recycling is progressively taking shape and composting is gradually being introduced into agriculture.
In 1989, Maldives proudly hosted the Small States Conference on Sea Level Rise, a ministerial level meeting calling for the incorporation of the Male' Declaration.
In addition to this, Maldives participated in the Second World Climatic Conference in 1990 and the Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992. In 1994 Maldives participated in the Global Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing States and in 1997 participated in the Kyoto Conference and the 13th Inter-governmental Panel on Climatic Change that was held in the Maldives in 1997.
Apart from these conferences, the Government has attended a significant amount of meetings on environmental protection. The Maldivesapproach to environmental issues as with many other small states , stays in harmony with the concept Think globally and act locally?.
More About Maldives:
|
