Public Disclosure Authorized NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT ACTION PLAN Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized M^INIS;TRY OF PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT Mae' Republic of Maldives. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT ACTION PLAN MINISTRY OF PLANNING AND ENVIRONMENT. Male' Republic of Maldives. 3 CONTENTS FOREWORD - 5 BACKGROUND .7 PRINCIPALAIM AND DIRECTIVEPRINCIPLES 8 DEVELOPMENT OF NATIONAL CAPABMLTM 12 TRAINING 13 AREAS FOR PRIORITYACTION IN 1990-1991 14 WORK PROGRAMME 17 WVORKPLAN 21 PROJECTS 25 FOREWORD The growing importance for protecting the environment cannot be over-emphasezed. This particularly applies to small island countries like the Maldives, where daily life is almost entirely govemed by the environmernLFishing for instance, is -e lagest industry, and tourism next, with the highest foreign currency earner. Environmental management is therefore the key to sustain these two very important sectors. With limited natural resources in the country, the future generations has alsc to depend on them. In a place, like the Maldives, where life is so intertwined with the complex but delicate ecosystems. the need to protect the environment is utnostThe vulnerability of the Maldives environment ic further increased by the threat of global warming and its consequences, in particular that of sea level rise. Sound environmental management to-day, is the key to a safe and sustainable future. Unless action is initiated urgently, it may have disastrous consequences on the country. It is my firm belief that this Action Plan willwork towards laying the necessary foundation to builc and strengthen the environmental planning and management caoability in the country. taking particular note of the immediate areas and the medium to long term activities. I take great pleasure in extending a word of gratitude tD the United Nations Environment Programme and the United Nations Development Programme, for their kind assistance. and to D7. John Pemetta in particular, who has contributed significantly in putting this Action Plan together. FATHULLA JAME=E Minister of State for Planning and Environmen:. 7 BACKGROUND The Maldivesforms a chainof coral atolls on the Laccadive-Chagos submarineridge rising from the deep Indian Ocean.Sequential growth of coral has built up the chainof islands. The 1190 odd islandsmake up lessthan 2% of the total area of the country. On an averagethe elevationof the islands are about 1.6m above meansea levei.The surroundingreefs of the islandsprotect them against the swells,currents and wavesof the IndianOceami. This fragilenature of the islands,the biologicaldiversity of the marine resourcestogether w;th the important terrestrialecosystems and their vital importanceto the health and well-being of the people- both present and future generations- have resulted in a demonstratedneed for better environmentamanagement and planningin the country.The traditional lifestyleof the peoplehad almostnegligible impact on the environmentbut recent socio economic developmentshave led to markeddeterioration of the environment.The potential impacts of the predicted gicbal climatic change includingthe threatof a rise in sea level,threatens the environmentof the country more than ever before. To minimizethe adverseeffects of environmentaldegradabon, a numberof activitieswere initiatedby varioussectoral agencies of the govemrnent.However, the need for an integratedenvironmental managementplan was felt more, to ailow for coordinationand implementationof such activities. Realisingthis need,the governmentsought the assistanceof the United Nations, in particular the United NationsEnvironment Programme and United NationsDevelopment Programme to draw up a managementstrategy.As a result, with assistancefrom UNDP,UNEP commissioned a study in December 1988, to identifyareas most vulnerable to the natural and anthropogenic changes. The findings and the recommendationswere placedbefore a nationalworkshop held from 28- 31 October 1989.This workshop, drew up the National Action Plan, a document aimed at environmentalmanagement and planningin the Maldives.The NationalEnvironment Council, later approved the activities to be undertakenby the action plan. The wise managementof the environment,in order to achievesustainable development, underlies the rationalefor implementing this action plan. 8 PRINCIPALAIM AND DIRECTIVEPRINCIPLES The principalaim of the ActionPlan is to help the Govemmentof the Republicof Maldivesto maintain and improvethe environmentof the country,including the marineand ocean area containedwithin the ExclusiveEconomic Zone, and to managethe resourcescontained therein for the collective benefitand enjoyment of presentand future generations. The directiveprinciples of the Action Planare: -The continuousassessment of the stateof the environmentwithin the country,including the impactsof man's activities on land, in freshwater,in lagoons,reefs and ocean and of the effects of these activities on the quality of the human environment. -The developmentand implementationof managementmethods suited to the naturaland social environmentof the countay,which will maintainor enhanceenvironmental quality, while at the same time utilizingresources an a sustainablebasis. -The preparationand implementationof comprehensivenational environmental legislation and participation in intemationalagreements to providefor responsibleand-effective management of the environment -The strengtheningof national capabilities,institutional arrangements and financialsupport which wJl enablethe Action Planto be implementedin an efficientand economicmanner. In executingindividual activities developed to implementthe Action Plan,conside.ation will be givento the potentialimpacts of globalenvironmental change in particular,the climatic change and its predictedconsequences. FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION In order to achievethe principal aim and in accordancewith the directive principles of the action plan, specific work programmeswill be developedaimed at achievingthe .following: (o Assessmentof the current state of the environment; (ii) Assessment of the impact of marine and land-based activities on the quality of the environment; (iii) Assessmentof the environmentalimplications of demographicpattems in the country; (iv) Managementof marine and land-baseddevelopment activitieswhich have an impact on environmentalquality; (v) Management of land and marine resources on a sustainablebasis; 9 lvi) Development of suitable coordinating mechanisms for the successful implementation of the Action Plan; (vii) Development of suitable training and educational programmes to enable the Government to effeRvely implement all aspects of the Action Plan. (viii} Development of education and environmental awareness programmes for the population at large. All components of the Action Plan are interdependent and provide a framework for comprehensive action which should contribute to both the protection of the environment and the continueddevelopment of the country.Thus, no componentmay be seen as an end to itself. The work programmesarising from the Action Plan should contribute not only to the resolution of environmentalproblems within the country, but also should seek to strengthencooperative programmes with neighbouring states, with other small island states in the Pacific and Caribbeanregions; and withoverseas institutions and agencies(including the various UN bodies) having an interest in environmentalmatters relating to the wider Indian Ocean region in general and the Maldivesin particular. ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT One of the major constraintsconfronting the Maldives in making -wise use of resourcesin the developmentprocess, is the paucity of environmentaland resourceinformation, so neccessaryfor rational decision making. This lack of information is particularlycritical in that it relatesto issues of fundamentalimportance such as: (i) The future potentialof under-utilisedresources; (in) The fragility of the islands; (iii) The ability of over-utilisedor degradedresources to recoveror sustainyields: (iv) The presenceof many islands with limited resourcesbut large human populations. The environmental assessment work programme is to be initiated through a coordinated resource inventory and environmental monitoringprogramme based on existing national. regionaland intemationalactivities in this field. The specificareas for environmentalassessment under the Action Planare as follows: 1. Assessmentof the health of the Maldiviancoral reefs including assessmentcf impacts resulting from crown of thoms predation; coral bleaching; coral mining and sand degrading; coral, and coral reef growth rates; impactsof tourism; and sand production in natural svstems. 2- Assessmentof the nature and volumes of marine pcllution including but not limited to hydrocarbons,solid wasteand sewagearound Male' and other selectedpopulation centres. 10 3. Assessmentof the status of marine fisheriesstocks and of the aquaculture potential of appropriate indigenous species of algae, fish and shellfish for local consumption and/or export 4. Assessmenitof the status of the aquiferresources outside Male'. 5. Assessment of the current level of coastal erosion problemsthroughout the country. 6. Assessmentof fture climate pattemsunder scenarios of global warming and assessment of relativesea level changes in the Maldives. 7. Assessment of wind and tidally generated current pattems. 8. EnvironmentalImpact Assessmentfor planned major developments. 9. Assessment of terrestial resources including soils, vegetation,fuelwood and