Miveshi for the Environment

@MoEnvmv has now gazetted a new boundary of Addu Nature Park without consulting the people of Addu or even the council. The process was also hastily begun before the new @AdduCityCouncil was inaugurated, on the inaugural day. This is a cowardly act by minister @aleeshareef who is going out of his way to facilitate ECOCIDE without the CONSENT of the people of Addu. Should we also remind you that Addu is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Minister? We have also heard on the grapevine that @ERA_Maldives is approving an EIA for this 2nd reclamation today. No stakeholders have been consulted for this EIA, and it’s our first time hearing about it. @Hassaan_Mhmd should not approve these bogus EIAs that do not have proper stakeholder consultations!

Talks have resurfaced that the Environment Ministry is once again LEGITIMIZING ECOCIDE by trying to shrink the boundary of Addu Nature Park - Eedhigali Kilhi and Koattey Protected Area to reclaim more of the Fishimathi Mangrove and Wetland Area. Newly appointed Environment Minister, and former Special Envoy for Climate Change @aleeshareef, must understand that the protection of Addu Nature Park is non-negotiable for the youth and people of Addu City. There has already been significant damage and destruction to Fishimathi, with NO PLAN in sight. Addu doesn’t need more BARREN LAND, by destroying our most precious natural resource. It is the duty and obligation of @AdduCityCouncil to defend our natural heritage by all means. The government must listen to the elected representatives before making decisions that will have major implications on the islands they represent. Our environment is more important than the ambitions of failed politicians. Help us spread the message @MoEnvmv @aleeshareef @presidencymv

We are deeply alarmed by the latest plans to reclaim additional mangrove and wetland areas at Moolekede Fishimathi in Addu. This new proposal is entirely separate from the previously EIA-approved road project. It involves a different road connection that directly encroaches into the boundaries of the Eedhigali Kilhi and Koattey Protected Area within Addu Nature Park, and is simply ILLEGAL. Koattey remains the oldest terrestrially protected site in the Maldives and is known worldwide for its reefs, which are home to turtles, sharks, and multiple species of fish. The ecological balance sustaining this biodiversity relies entirely on the adjacent mangroves and wetlands, which serve as nurseries, flood buffers, and carbon sinks. Further disruption to this interconnected system would inflict irreversible devastation on the reefs and surrounding habitats. @ERA_Maldives must urgently fulfill its mandate by firmly rejecting these plans and halting any actions that undermine the integrity of Koattey, and the Addu UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. How much more must we sacrifice in the name of "development"?