Biodiversity

In 2010, the Maldives Ministry of Housing and Environment presented their Fourth National Report to the Convention on Biological Diversity (NBSAP) to the Commission on Biological Diversity. The Maldives also follows a Third National Environmental Action Plan (NEAPIII). These strategies have aimed to integrate biodiversity issues into national and sector plans and policies.

Although the Maldives boasts rich and diverse marine and terrestrial biological diversity, comprehensive studies of these resources have not been made. The reef ecosystems of the Maldives are the seventh largest in the world and their diversity is amongst the richest worldwide, accounting for 5% of the world’s reef areas. The islands are made up of coral sand, but terrestrial biodiversity is limited, though varied, due to the small size of the islands. The major threats to biodiversity include climate change, coral bleaching, habitat modification, pollution from anthropogenic sources and over-exploitation of natural resources. The Government of the Maldives is aware of the pressure on biodiversity resources and has been proactive in introducing policies such as bans on turtle fishing, shark fishing, and coral mining. The Maldives government has instituted 33 Environmental Protection Areas, of which 28 are Marine Protection Areas. Integration of biodiversity protection into national sustainable development strategies – such as through the Atoll Eco-Based Conservation Project (AEC) – has also been developed. Ornamental plant varieties, various bird species, vegetable plant species and various pests have been introduced, but very little information is available on the effects of these introductions due to the weakness of regulations and lack of capacity to control and monitor those plants that are being imported.