A digest of news and opinion from the Maldives.
NGOs have slammed the decision to destroy mangroves to make way for an airport in Kulhudhuffushi, ahead of next week’s official project launch by President Abdulla Yameen. The white clay mangroves, said to be the largest of their kind in the Maldives, are home to endangered species and serve as a natural defence system against […]
The imminent destruction of Kulhudhuffushi’s mangroves to make way for an airport and ensuing environmental damage have dominated headlines recently. The airport’s development was a major campaign pledge of President Abdulla Yameen. Following is a timeline of events since the presidential pledge. August 12 2013 – Presidential candidate Yameen pledges to build an airport on […]
The Kulhudhuffushi council expects about 2,500 trees and plants to be felled or removed from the island’s mangrove forest for the construction of an airport. With dredging and land reclamation expected to begin in early November, the wetland area in the island’s northern end is now under the authority of the Regional Airports department of […]
The dead whale carcass that drifted in to B. Goidhoo lagoon The island council of Goidhoo in Baa atoll on Monday revealed that it has not succeeded in removing the whale carcass that drifted into the island’s lagoon last Thursday. Goidhoo council’s president Mohamed Nafiz said that the council, along with some residents, have been […]
The original Dhivehi article was published on Mihaaru.com website on 27th October 2017. The following is a loose translation: There are many who are insistently saying that Haa Dhaalu Atoll’s Kulhudhuffushi island does not require an airport. However, according to the Island Council, 95% of the inhabitants are in favour of it. Therefore, let’s respect […]
In order to develop an airport in HDh. Kulhudhuffushi, 15 Hectares of land will be reclaimed from the islands pond and sea area, according to MTCC. Managing Director of MTCC Mr Ibrahim Ziyath stated that the project will commence soon. He also added that currently, other preparations related to the project are going on, such […]
Special ops dispersed protesters outside the Environment Ministry Thursday ahead of the destruction of mangroves in Kulhudhuffushi to make way for a new airport. The demonstrators gathered outside the ministry with placards, demanding an urgent meeting as plans to raze the mangroves are thought to start on October 30. The protesters raised their concerns with […]
The biodiversity-rich mangrove swamp of HDh. Kulhudhuffushi. PHOTO/ MI HAAZ The endangered species that inhabit the mangrove in the island of Kulhudhuffushi in the northern Haa Dhaalu atoll will be relocated to a place with similar environmental conditions, the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed airport development project, has advised. The government’s revelation that […]
Reclaiming the Kulhudhufushi mangrove to develop an airport on the northern island will cause lasting damage, an Environmental Impact Assessment for the US$11.4 million project has warned. According to the EIA report by private consultant Dr Zahid Hameed, the “considerable negative impacts on the environment” include the permanent loss of habitat for flora and fauna, loss […]