Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology Aminath Shauna has stated efforts are underway to establish eco-tourism facilities in protected areas in the Maldives, to boost economic benefits from such areas.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of a 5-day workshop on sustainable tourism in protected areas, Minister Shauna noted the Maldives is blessed with an abundance of natural beauty, which is what makes the country such a popular tourist destination. The minister noted several protected areas in the Maldives, including dive sites, mangroves, wetlands and sand banks are very popular among tourists. She said the ministry plans to establish eco-tourism facilities and guidelines for protected areas in the Maldives to increase the economic benefits of these areas to the people of the Maldives.
In her remarks, Minister Shauna highlighted the government’s plans to declare 10% of all reefs and 20% of all wetlands, as well as a sandbank and uninhabited island in each atoll as protected areas by 2025. She noted it is the responsibility of the current generation to safeguard the natural resources of the country and ensure it is passed on to future generations.
The workshop on sustainable tourism in protected areas is conducted jointly by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Several state institutions, local councils and non-government organisations and associations are taking part in the workshop.