NGOs call on govt to axe Keylakunu ecotourism project, declare it a natural reserve

The calls by environmental groups, demanding that the government to abandon its plan to develop a floating resort in the ecologically significant island of HDh. Keylakunu, continues to grow.

The calls come after the new Visitor Economic Council decided earlier this week to run an ecotourism project at the island.

On Tuesday, six NGOs issued a joint statement expressing deep concern over the decision.

The NGOs in question are Association for Democracy Maldives, Beleaf Maldives, Ecocare Maldives, #SaveMaldives Campaign, Transparency Maldives, and Zero Waste Maldives.

They called on the government to halt any impending development activities at Keylakunu, and declare it a nature reserve to protect the rare wild mangrove forest and limit human interaction.

“Not only do we stand against the development of Keylakunu as an ecotourism destination, but we urge the government to carry the same sentiments; to recognize and to address the looming threats that the development of tourism and tourist activities continue to impose on our vital ecosystems; which include the recent impacts of sand mining, land reclamation and tree grabbing,” reads the statement.

Keylakunu is one of the only islands in the Maldives that is home to forest-like features with an abundance of Avecennia Marina mangroves, and the sole island ecosystem in the Maldivian archipelago that harbors such an abundance with comparable density.

The island of Keylakunu was previously populated. However, a storm in 1820 destroyed the island, forcing the island’s residents to relocate elsewhere.

In Tuesday’s statement, the NGOs also expressed concern that Maldivian governments are consistently encroaching on environmentally protected areas, which is decimating the living natural heritage and community livelihood resources of the Maldives.

“Conservation and preservation of our finite ecosystems are tantamount to successful sustainable development, and we believe it is imperative that we stand firm against threats that devalue the ecological integrity of our resources,” reads the statement.