Ministry of Environment, Energy and Water


Underwater beauty of Maldives:

slideshow of underwater beauty of Maldives

Environmental tips

Maldives Islands are one of the last paradises on earth – please help us to ensure it remains so. You will have a wonderful holiday here. With your co-operation, future generations will also have the opportunity to enjoy this paradise. As Jacques Cousteau said about the Maldives:

»The human being is a guest in this paradise
and should behave accordingly.«

The country is known for its sandy beaches and calm blue waters of the sea, which serve as popular tourist attractions. All this and more has a major impact on the environment of Maldives.

The country has a rich marine and tropical environment. Filled with natural resources and plenty of greenery, the country is a perfect place to experience the beauty of Mother Nature. The country has taken lots of measure to preserve the natural beauty of its islands and thus maintain its bio-diversity. The country does not allow excessive exploitation of its natural resources. The country launched the National Environment Action Plan in 1989 in to order protect the country from natural disasters and hazards.

The country is surrounded by a seawall, which protects the country from sea level rise and climatic changes. As the seawaters are filled with exotic marine life, the country also does not allow the hunting and killing of certain marine creatures like turtles and some special species of tropical fishes. Sport fishing, though allowed, is restricted to the tag and release method.

Another major environmental program launched by the company was the 'Million Tree Program'. It was introduced in the year 1996 with the objective of making the country greener. Under this program, a large number of nurseries were set up in the country and numerous trees were planted all across the country.

Maldives as a country is extremely clean. Under their 'Independent Maldives, Clean Maldives' program, waste collecting activities were carried out all across the country. Waste management schemes were developed and the recycling of waste products have become extremely popular over here.

Maldives has participated in a number of international conferences dealing with the issue of environment protection. The country participated in the Second World Climatic Conference in 1990, Earth Summit held in Rio de Janeiro in 1992, Kyoto Conference and other similar summits.

The environment of Maldives is clean and clear. The natural surroundings coupled with the environmental policies of Maldives have helped in maintaining the bio-diversity of the country.
 

The underwater-world
The Maldives are unique on earth. The Maldivians are staying on islands formed by coral. If it wasn’t for the coral, there wouldn’t be any islands. That is why we have to protect the corals. You can see under the water the living corals, which is a limestone product, which has been built over thousands of years by millions of polyps. These polyps are so small that you cannot see them. When you touch a coral, you destroy these polyps.

The coral reef is, after the rainforest, the most complex ecological system on earth. More than 100.000 species live here. Coral is the centre of this ecosystem.

Therefore: Do not touch the coral!

Every island has especially created, marked entrances to enable easy access to the reef for diving and snorkelling. Please use these entrances, do not trample on the coral and bear the change of the tide in mind on your snorkelling trips. Seek information at the dive base. If you swim over the reef at high tide, your way could be barred at low tide.

Never walk on the top of the reef!

The coral gardens of the Maldives are considered to be some of the most beautiful in the world. The complexity of this ecosystem can hardly be imagined. Every living creature has its place, except for the human being. Therefore: please behave like a guest in this fascinating underwater world. Do not touch anything! Respect the living space of the animals and enjoy as a guest the astonishing variety of species.

Respect the living space of the animals and do not touch any of them!

 

Rubbish
Please bear in mind that you are on a small island in the middle of the indian ocean. Rubbish disposal is a difficult issue on the Maldives and one of the biggest challenges for the future. Every piece of rubbish that is produced must be burned. Please help to avoid rubbish. We would be grateful if you take your rubbish back home with you. In your home country modern recycling facilities exist – on the Maldives they don’t. If you brought a full tube of sun-cream with you, then take the empty one back with you and dispose of it back home in the correct way.

Do your bit to keep this paradise clean!

Cigarettes
Do not throw away cigarette stubs. It takes more than 200 years for a cigarette filter to be decomposed by nature. Before then turtles and other nosy animals will have eaten them and will have suffered a horrendous death because of it. Set an example, whether you are on the beach or a dive boat.
Do not throw any cigarette stubs away!

Energy
Every little bit of electricity in your bungalow will have been generated by a diesel engine on the island. Do your bit to save energy and reduce the strain on the environment. Only use the air-conditioning if you really need it. Turn out the light on the terrace at night and reduce the activity of your fridge. If you brought any equipment such as battery chargers with you, then use them sparingly.
Please save energy!

Water
Every drop of fresh water has to be produced by a freshwater plant, which is situated on your island. Fresh water is one of the most valued commodities on the Maldives. It takes a great deal of energy to turn saltwater into fresh water. Do your bit to save water. For example, do not let the water run during shaving and do not shower any longer than necessary. Each towel that is being washed uses valuable fresh water too. In addition each wash uses a large amount of washing powder which afterwards is flushed into the sea. Use towels more than once. The burden of waste water poses one of the biggest threats to the coral reefs.

Please save water!

Divers and Snorkellers
We the divers and snorkellers should always set an example. We have the greatest interest in the protection of the underwater world. We behave accordingly: we only touch with our eyes. Even when we take videos or photographs we do not touch anything, nor do we bother any living creature. We always behave as a guest underwater. We stabilise ourselves perfectly and we watch the movement of our flippers. Our equipment too is always tidy, so that small parts cannot cause unintentional damage. Our code teaches us to protect this paradise and to inform others of our rules of conduct.
As a diver or snorkeller be a model!

Basic Principles
The government of the Maldives has recognised that the protection of this unique natural wonder must have first priority. Help to retain the natural wonder of the Maldives. You, as a tourist, have the opportunity to actively participate in the preservation of the Maldives. Every tourist, every native Maldivian, every animal and, most of all, future generations will thank you for it.
 

Be a leader in the embodiment of these thoughts. Only if we all work together can we reach our goal: the preservation of the natural wonder of the Maldives.

 

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