The administration will establish at least one nature park in each atoll and add three more biosphere reserves as part of its efforts to safeguard the Maldives ecosystem, President Mohamed Muizzu announced on Tuesday while speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai.
Speaking about the Maldives’ environmental vulnerability and the urgent need for global action on the climate crisis, the president emphasised the country’s commitment to prioritise climate resilience in implementing its comprehensive 20-year development plan.
Priority will be given towards mitigating disasters and damage caused by climate change, the President said, highlighting the reason for his administration’s decision. He further reiterated his commitment to planting five million trees across the country.
We have 91 protected areas and three UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization designated] biosphere reserves. We plan to establish three more biosphere reserves and a nature park in each atoll.
President Muizzu highlighting his administration’s effort towards safeguarding and preserving the Maldives’ ecosystem and creating resiliency towards climate change.
In his address at the World Governments Forum, President Muizzu also touched upon the government’s plan to explore vertical farming for food security, as well as on the ongoing efforts to reduce the Maldives’s reliance on fossil fuel for power generation, with the target of achieving 33 percent of the country’s energy generation from renewable sources within the next five years.
The World Governments Summit 2024 is being held under the banner of ‘Shaping Future Governments’. The summit aims to serve as a platform for governments, international organisations, thought leaders, and private sector leaders to convene and engage in discourse regarding the challenges of the future, with the ultimate goal of empowering the next generation of governments.