CSOs Urge Gov’t to Declare Keylakunu as Nature Reserve and Halt Development

Transparency Maldives (TM), along with several environmental organisations, has issued a joint statement expressing deep concern over the decision by the Visitor Economy Council, led by President Dr Mohamed Muizzu, to proceed with the development of a floating resort on HDh. Keylakunu, an island of significant ecological importance.

The coalition calls on the government to immediately cease any impending development activities on Hdh. Keylakunu and instead designate it as a nature reserve. The primary aim is to safeguard the rare wild mangrove forest and restrict human intervention on the island.

The controversy dates back to 2017 when the former Ministry of Tourism included HDh. Keylakunu in a list of islands earmarked for tourism development, triggering opposition from civil society groups and environmental advocates. Subsequently, in December 2018, the Ministry of Environment granted protection to the area under Law 4/93 – Environment Protection and Preservation Act.

Expressing serious reservations, the coalition highlighted a broader pattern of successive governments encroaching on environmentally protected regions in the Maldives. Instances such as the degradation of the last mangrove in Kaafu Atoll and irreversible damage to marine protected areas in Addu Atoll Biosphere Reserve through reclamation in 2023 are cited as alarming precedents.

Keylakunu stands out as one of the few islands in the Maldives boasting a forest-like landscape with a rich abundance of Avecennia Marina (Baru Gas) mangroves. It is the sole island ecosystem in the archipelago with such density. The International Society for Mangrove Ecosystems recommended the Maldivian Government declare the island a biosphere reserve in 2001, emphasising the rarity and ecological importance of the mangrove forest.

Mangrove forests play a crucial role in carbon sequestration, acting as vital ecosystems to combat the climate crisis by trapping significant amounts of “blue carbon.” The coalition asserts that preserving these finite ecosystems is indispensable for successful sustainable development.

The signatories, including the Association for Democracy Maldives, Beleaf Maldives, Ecocare Maldives, #SaveMaldives Campaign, Transparency Maldives, and Zero Waste Maldives, not only oppose the development of Keylakunu as an ecotourism destination but also call on the government to recognize and address the broader threats posed by tourism-related activities, such as sand mining, land reclamation, and tree grabbing, on the Maldives’ essential ecosystems.