SUSTAINABILITY IS THE DNA OF THE MALDIVES

The Maldives has come a long way since achieving independence from the United Kingdom in 1965. At that time, is was an under-developed economy. Today, 55 years later, the Maldives is, by many measures and indicators (including health, education and literacy) a development success story – albeit very vulnerable as a low-lying island state.

The Maldives has primarily built its success on the back of two key industries: fisheries and tourism, which contribute to a substantial share of the country’s annual Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

The growth of these industries has gone hand-in-hand with a strong focus on sustainability and the well-being of local communities. For example, Maldives fisherman use a fishing technique called “pole and line”, whereby fish (and particularly tuna) is caught one by one – thereby reducing harm to other marine life. This, alongside other measures such as restrictions on coral mining, make Maldives an example in sustainable seafood value chains.

In the case of tourism, many of the country’s luxury resorts have promoted eco-friendly practices including plastic recycling and solar power generation. While the COVID-19 global pandemic has inevitably had a debilitating effect on tourism and fisheries, these two sectors will remain the drivers of sustainable development in small island states such as the Maldives.

No discussion about the Maldives would be complete without making mention of climate change. Bracing for the impacts of climate change is a matter of survival for the Maldives and other low-lying island states, precisely the countries that have made a negligible contribution to greenhouse gas emissions. The international community must raise to the occasion and support the Maldives in increasing their resilience and adaptability against the climate change-related threats.

As the world moves to the post-pandemic recovery phase, this Special Edition of Diplomatic World Maldives to be included in the 63rd edition of Diplomatic World Magazine aims to highlight the measures undertaken to ensure that the recovery is sustainable, inclusive and resilient; as well as to reassure the world that visitors can again enjoy the safe, stress-free experience that the Maldives has long been renowned for.