Biodiversity under threat
The islands are home to exceptional marine biodiversity, which attracts tourists from all over the world and provides food for humans. However, this biodiversity is under threat from human activity. Urbanization has led to the fragmentation and degradation of natural environments. Overfishing of reef species - mainly for tourists and consumers abroad - is another threat. Climate change, meanwhile, is contributing to ocean acidification, weakening corals and the entire food chain. Pollution is also a source of biodiversity erosion. To preserve ecosystems and raise public awareness, the country has set up nature reserves and marine protected areas. These includethe Baa, Fuvahmulah and Adduatolls , designated as biosphere reserves by UNESCO. Some resorts have also adopted an "eco-tourism" approach. Preserving the living world also involves simple gestures, such as sustainable fish consumption (see the fish guide: www.wwf.fr), or the use of sun protection without chemical filters.
The burning issue of waste
The development of tourism in the Maldives has been accompanied by the generation of a significant waste stream. It is estimated that each tourist produces 7.2 kg per day, compared with 2.8 kg for a Malé resident. The country has chosen to centralize all its waste on the island of Thilafushi. On site, metals, plastic packaging and paper are collected before being sent to India, while other waste (including batteries and other hazardous waste) is buried or burned in the open air. The people in charge of sorting are often Bangladeshi workers, exposed to toxic fumes, working and living in precarious conditions. Since the least polluting waste is that which is not produced, reducing waste at source is the best way to prevent it (see: www.zerowastefrance.org). Visitors to the archipelago are advised to take their hazardous waste home with them, so that it is treated in the appropriate channels and does not contribute to contaminating the waters, air and soil of the Maldives.
Facing climate change
To raise awareness of the Maldives' climate situation, former president Mohamed Nasheed held a ministerial meeting in 2009... several meters underwater. He also committed his country to an energy transition. The country's current objective is to achieve carbon neutrality by 2030 (notably through the development of renewable energies). In terms of climate adaptation, the country has artificially extended the island of Hulhumalé and built dykes. Restoring mangroves and coral reefs, and protecting water production and supply are ongoing research topics. The IPCC report, published in August 2021, leaves no doubt as to human responsibility for climate change and the need for urgent, coordinated action to keep the rise in global temperatures below 2°C. The Maldivians, who are low contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, could be among the first climate refugees. Indeed, at the current rate of warming, rising sea levels could submerge the territory by the end of the century.
