Minister of Environment Dr. Hussain Rasheed Hassan has highlighted the importance of formulating policies which ensure sustainable economic growth.
In a message released on the occasion of World Environment Day, the environment minister said as a country formed by coral atolls in the Indian Ocean, the Maldives is highly dependent on nature and environment for the livelihood of its citizens. The minister said the reefs, lagoons, beaches and the surrounding environment are the key components of the Maldivian economy which provide the country its main sources of wealth. He added the country also relies on biodiversity and the ocean for food security, clean water, mitigation of beach erosion, sand formation and protection from natural disasters.
Speaking in this regard, the environment minister stressed on the importance of conserving nature and the surrounding environment. As such, the minister said all policies formulated and implemented in the Maldives must ensure conservation of nature and the environment. He added the policies must help protect and manage the natural resources available in the Maldives and support sustainable economic growth.
In his message, the environment minister urged each and every citizen to fulfill their individual responsibility towards the environment, by cooperating with the environmental protection measures implement at both community level and national level. He said the COVID-19 pandemic has provided an opportunity to rebuild the world while protecting natural resources and biodiversity.
World Environment Day is marked annually on June 5. The theme for this year’s World Environment Day is ‘Time for Nature’, with a focus on its role in providing the essential infrastructure that supports life on earth and human development.