The Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Group of Earth Observations (GEO) to develop detailed charts of the natural environment of the Maldives.
Minister of Climate Change, Environment, and Energy Thoriq Ibrahim signed the agreement, launching the project known as The Global Ecosystem Atlas Accelerator for the Maldives. The ministry said that the initiative will result in the first comprehensive ecosystem atlas for the Maldives, aiding in national development decisions and environmental conservation plans. The atlas will also support the government's recently announced goals for natural resource management and environmental protection.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Minister Thoriq expressed his gratitude to GEO for selecting the Maldives as the inaugural country for this project. He also expressed optimism about effective collaboration with GEO in executing this project.
Additionally, Minister Thoriq highlighted the development of other targets under the National Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan, aligned with the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. He said that these targets include nature parks, biosphere reserves, and ecotourism at the national level, with the atlas playing a crucial role in achieving these objectives.
The atlas will document various environmental patterns in the Maldives, providing comprehensive information and technical documentation of these areas. The project builds on environmental patterns previously identified in collaboration with the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) under the Regenerate Project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The atlas is of significant importance to the Maldives, given the country's heavy reliance on its coastal and marine environments. It will also aid in the sustainable use of natural resources, protection, and management of critical areas, and restoration of degraded regions.