Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve Office said Sunday that it was drawing up conservation management plans for regions within the Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve.
According to the office, Hanifaru is the only region which is managed under a conservation management plan within the protected region in Baa Atoll.
Speaking to PSM news, Outreach Officer at the Biosphere Reserve Office Shaafee Ali said “the plans have now been drawn up and they are expected to take effect before the end of this year.”
“The implementation of the plans will make it possible to better manage the protected area in Baa Atoll in the future,” he added.
Ten regions in Baa Atoll including Olhagiri, Dhilihaa, Mendhoo, Hanifaru, Angafaru, Mathifaruhuraa, Bathalaa, and Goidhoo are declared protected areas which form the Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) officially declared Baa Atoll as a biosphere reserve in in June 2011.
According to UNESCO, Baa Atoll supports one of the largest groups of coral reefs in the Indian Ocean, and acts as a stepping stone for the transport of planktonic larvae of reef organisms from the western and eastern Indian Ocean. The reserve is home to a globally significant biodiversity among its numerous reefs and demonstrates a long history of human interaction with the environment.