baseline assessment report of memp
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Citation
Thisdocumentmaybecitedas:
Usman,S.K.,(2009).BaselineAssessmentReport.Pp.48.6thAugust2009.RegionalStrategic
EnvironmentAssessment(Component3).MEMP4427MV.ProjectManagementUnit,Ministry
ofHousing,TransportandEnvironment,Male',RepublicofMaldives.
Pleasedonnotprintthisdocumentunlessyoureallyneedto.
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ExecutiveSummary
Thefirstchapterofthereportgivesabackground,scopeandmethodologyoftheassessment.In
addition, it gives an introduction to Maldives Environmental Management Project, its
component focussing on Component 3: Environmental Monitoring and Management
Component.
The second chapter gives an overview of the demographic factors of the North Province
focussing the targeted islands. This is developed in order to give a brief overview to anyone
whoreadsthereport.
ChapterfourandfivearepurelyfocusedonComponent3whereChapter4givesdescriptionof
all the monitoring programmes. Chapter 5 on theother hand focuses onquestions that were
askedinthequestionnaireusedtocollectinformation.Eachquestionisanalysedandpresented
withgraphsanddescription.
Interestingly, it is important to note that there were added advantages of being a Maldivian
when writing the baseline report, as the statistics, dicussions and findings can be predicted,
analysedandreportedbasedonopinionandcanbesupportedwithreallifeexamples.
Theconclusion isnotthe lastpartbutgivesabriefviewofthefindings.Basedonthestatistics
and findings, a section on recommendation is developed where, it states the short term
activitiestobecarriedout.
Further, the report is supported with comprehensive appendices which was used to whole
throughtoutthereport.
Keywords:Baseline,Assessment,Monitoring,Management,Component3,RSEA,MEMP
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TableofContents
Citation.............................................................................................................................................. i
ExecutiveSummary.......................................................................................................................... ii
ListofTables..................................................................................................................................... v
ListofFigures................................................................................................................................... vi
Acronyms........................................................................................................................................ vii
1. Introduction............................................................................................................................. 1
1.1 Background...................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Methodology................................................................................................................... 1
2. MaldivesEnvironmentalManagementProject....................................................................... 2
2.1RegionalStrategicEnvironmentalAssessments(RSEAs)....................................................... 2
2.1.1 MapofMEMPArea................................................................................................. 3
2.1.2 Subcomponent3.1:ErosionandtheTerrestrialEnvironment.............................. 4
2.1.3 Subcomponent3.2:MarineEnvironmentalMonitoringandCoralReefs..............4
2.2.3 Subcomponent3.3:SpatialPlanning..................................................................... 4
2.2.4 Subcomponent3.4:IntegrationofFindings:ReportsandaPilotRSEA.................4
2.3 MonitoringProgrammeArea.......................................................................................... 5
2.3.1 RationaleforProgrammeArea................................................................................ 6
3. Demographics.......................................................................................................................... 7
3.1
Population
Size
................................................................................................................
7
3.2 AgeStructure................................................................................................................... 8
3.3 IslandSize........................................................................................................................ 9
3.4 Gender........................................................................................................................... 10
3.5 Age................................................................................................................................. 12
3.6 Sector............................................................................................................................. 13
4. MonitoringProgrammes....................................................................................................... 14
4.1 CoastalErosionMonitoring........................................................................................... 14
4.1.1Beach
Erosion
Data
.......................................................................................................
14
4.2 TerrestrialEcosystemMonitoringProgramme............................................................. 15
4.3 BaitandReefFisheryMonitoringProgramme.............................................................. 16
4.4 CoralReefandCoralReefEcosystemMonitoring......................................................... 17
5. FindingsfromIndividualLevelResponses............................................................................. 18
5.1ImportanceofManagingtheEnvironment......................................................................... 18
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5.2 EnvironmentalProblems............................................................................................... 18
5.2.1 BeachErosion........................................................................................................ 19
5.2.2 Flooding................................................................................................................. 20
5.2.3 ContaminationofWaterLens............................................................................... 20
5.2.4
WasteManagement
..............................................................................................
21
5.2.5 Others.................................................................................................................... 21
5.3 PerceptionofCommunityEmpowermenttoSolvetheEnvironmentalProblems.......23
5.4 ComparativeImportanceofEnvironmentalProblemRanking..................................... 24
5.5 Actions/activities Undertaken or CAN be done by Community to Mitigate
EnvironmentalProblems........................................................................................................... 25
5.6 MajorChangetoIslandEnvironmentinthepast5years............................................. 26
5.7 IndividualParticipationinEnvironmentalActivities..................................................... 27
5.8
CommunityParticipation
in
Environmental
Activities
..................................................
28
5.9 LevelofParticipationinEnvironmentalActivities......................................................... 29
5.10 Importance of knowing the Environmental Changes via a Community Monitoring
Program..................................................................................................................................... 30
5.11 InterestedinCommunityMonitoringProgram............................................................. 31
5.12 CommunityMonitoringProgramsthatRespondentsareinterestedtoparticipate.....32
5.13 ActivitiesParticipatedbyRespondentsandCommunitybyLevel................................ 33
5.13.1 EnvironmentalAwareness..................................................................................... 33
5.13.2
CleaningPrograms
.................................................................................................
33
6. Conclusions............................................................................................................................ 34
References..................................................................................................................................... 35
Annexes......................................................................................................................................... 36
Annex1:Questionnaires........................................................................................................... 36
IslandLevelQuestionnaire.................................................................................................... 36
IndividualQuestionnaire....................................................................................................... 37
Annex2:FindingsfromIslandLevel/GroupResponses............................................................ 38
Gender...................................................................................................................................
38
EnvironmentalProblems....................................................................................................... 38
ParticipationRateinEnvironmentalActivities...................................................................... 39
Levelofenvironmentalactivitiesparticipated...................................................................... 39
CommunityMonitoringProgrammes................................................................................... 40
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ListofTables
Table1:CommunityMonitoringProgrammeArea......................................................................... 5
Table2:RationaleforSelectionofProgrammeArea...................................................................... 6
Table3:IslandswithBeachErosion.............................................................................................. 14
Table4:GenderofParticipants..................................................................................................... 38
Table5:EnvironmentalProblems,inpercentageofresponse..................................................... 38
Table6:ParticipateRateinEnvironmentalActivitiesbyCommunityandRespondents..............39
Table7:LevelofEnvironmentalActivitiesparticipated,inpercentageresponse........................ 39
Table8:InterestsinparticipationinCommunityMonitoringProgrammes,byrespondents......40
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ListofFigures
Figure1:MapofProjectArea......................................................................................................... 3
Figure2:PopulationSizeoftheMonitoringIslands....................................................................... 7
Figure3:AgeStructureofMonitoringIslands,2006...................................................................... 8
Figure4:MonitoringIslandsSize,2005.......................................................................................... 9
Figure5:GenderofRespondents.................................................................................................. 10
Figure6:Numberofpeopleparticipatedininformationsessions,byGender............................. 11
Figure7:AgeStructureofRespondents........................................................................................ 12
Figure8:EmploymentofRespondentsbySector......................................................................... 13
Figure9:EnvironmentalProblemsidentifiedbyRespondents..................................................... 18
Figure10:CoastalErosionasaproblem,bypercentageofrespondents..................................... 19
Figure11:Floodingand/orInundationasaproblem,bypercentageofrespondents.................20
Figure12:Contaminationofwaterlensasaproblem,bypercentageofrespondents...............20
Figure13:Wasteasaproblem,bypercentageofrespondents................................................... 21
Figure14:OtherEnvironmentalProblemsaffectingislandpopulation........................................ 22
Figure15:PerceptionofCommunityEmpowermenttoSolvetheEnvironmentalProblems......23
Figure16:ComparativeImportanceofEnvironmentalProblemRanking.................................... 24
Figure17:IndentifiedMajorChangedtotheEnvironmentinthePast5Years........................... 26
Figure18:RespondentsParticipationRateinEnvironmentalActivities....................................... 27
Figure
19:
Community
Participation
Rate
in
Environmental
Activities
.........................................
28
Figure20:LevelofParticipationinEnvironmentalActivities........................................................ 29
Figure 21: Importance of identifying Environmental Changes via Community Monitoring
Programs....................................................................................................................................... 30
Figure22:RespondentsInterestedtoParticipateinCommunityMonitoringPrograms.............31
Figure23:CommunityMonitoringProgramsRespondentsareInterestedtoParticipate...........32
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Acronyms
AEC Atoll EcosystemConservation
CMP CommunityMonitoringProgramme
DNP
Departmentof
National
Planning
EPA EnvironmentalProtectionAuthority
ERC EnvironmentResearchCentre
GDP GrossDomesticProduct
Ha Hectors
IDA InternationalDevelopmentAssociation
M&E MonitoringandEvaluation
MEMP
MaldivesEnvironmentalManagement
Project
MPAS MaldivesProtectedAreaSystem
MRC
Marine
Research
Centre
MT MetricTon
NCMN NationalCoastalMonitoringNetwork
NGO NongovernmentalOrganization
PMU ProjectManagementUnit
RSEA
RegionalStrategicEnvironmental
Assessment
TIA TsunamiImpactAssessment
UNDP UnitedNationsDevelopmentProgramme
US$ UnitedStatesDollar
WDC Women'sDevelopmentCommittee
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1. Introduction1.1BackgroundThe
main
objective
of
the
exercise
is
one
of
aggregating,
compiling
and
summarizing
available
secondarydataandprimarydatacollected intheInceptionTrips inordertoprovideanoverall
picture of the current situation in the target islands focusing on Regional Strategic
EnvironmentalAssessmentComponent(RSEA).
The assessment will provide a benchmark for comparison to be made with the situation of
project target areas after the implementation of planned interventions. In addition, the
assessmentwillserveasbasistomeasureprojectprogressinachievingdesiredobjectivesinthe
targetislands,bycomparingfiguresandsimilarcontrolgroups.
The key output of the exercise is this Baseline Assessment Report. Main part of the report
presentsthemostrelevantdata/summarystatisticsanditsdiscussionstogetherwithimplication
and
suggestion
for
project
intervention
design.
Detailed
data
consulted
to
prepare
the
assessment is presented in Annexes using Tables. Where possible, data is presented
disaggregatedbyisland.
1.2MethodologyThe report presented below reflects findings and conclusions as compiled by July 2009. In
additionstothedocumentsconsulteditisbasedontheprimarydatacollectedintheInception
Trip. With respect to the concern, information was mainly derived from the questionnaires
(Annex)developedtocollectprimarydata.
Thereportisintendedtobeusedasabackground/baselinedocumentforreferenceduringthe
remainingimplementationperiodandalongwiththeMonitoringandEvaluation(M&E)system,
to allow measurement of the progress/achievements of the targets. The report discusses the
current facts and gives tabulated/graphical representations of the data collected for easier
reference.
Findings and conclusions presented below are those of the author and do not substitute any
commitmentofeitherMEMPorPMU.
Firstofall,theRSEACoordinatorreviewedtheprojectobjectives,targets,and indicators.This
allowed the RSEA Coordinator to develop questionnaires for the component baseline. It also
helped to determine with project objectives, areas of interventions and indicators, thus
understanding which type of information and data would be relevant for inclusion in the
baselineassessment.
The RSEA Coordinator then reviewed available secondary data sources to collect and collate
relevantinformationanddatatobeincludedinthebaselineassessment. Baseduponthedata
collected and tables compiled, the RSEA Coordinator prepared a draft report which was
discussedwiththeprojectadvisorandprojectstaff.Theillustrationofthebaselinefindingslead
to recommendations for project interventionsand targeting, that is discussed and included in
thefinaldraftofthereport.
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2. MaldivesEnvironmentalManagementProjectThe Government of the Republic of Maldives has received financing from the International
Development Association (IDA) toward the cost of the Maldives Environmental Management
Project.
MaldivesEnvironmental
Management
Project
has
been
divided
into
four
(4)
components
which
include: (1) a regional solid waste management program for the North Central Region; (2)
capacity building for environmental management; (3) technical assistance for a regional
strategic environmental assessment enhancing environmental management through the
collectionanduseofdataand(4)projectmanagementandprojectcommunications.
Thisprojecthastwodevelopmentobjectives.Thefirstseeksto improveanddevelopasocially
andenvironmentallysustainablesystemofsolidwastemanagementthatreducestheassociated
environmentalandpublichealthrisksandcanbereplicatedandscaledupacrossthecountry.
The second aims to strengthen capacity for environmental management in the Maldives, by
addressing some of the human resource constraints and informational impediments to
improved environmental management. It aims to have decisionmaking processes of relevant
government
agencies
make
use
of
trained
professionals
and
scientific
information
to
assess,designandimplementresponsestoenvironmentalrisks.
2.1RegionalStrategicEnvironmentalAssessments(RSEAs)
Regional strategic environmental assessments (RSEAs) will facilitate the inclusion of
environmental considerations into national development policies and spatial planning in a
geographically prescribed area. To be credible and useful, the RSEA needs to be grounded in
scientificinformationandevidenceoftrends. Thiscomponentwouldsupportaparallelprocess
designedto fillcritical informationgaps interrestrialandmarineenvironmentalmonitoringas
prioritizedbyGovernmentofMaldives.
Sparse information and the absence of baseline data remain one of the key impediments to
stimulating
discussions
and
policy
deliberations
that
would
lead
to
greater
community
awarenessandbetterdecisionmaking.
Recognizing that there are insufficient resources in the project envelope to fill all the
information gaps, this component selectively targets issues and information gaps where
assistanceismosturgentlyneeded.ThisreflectstheGovernmentofMaldivespolicypreference
andtheneedtoexerciseeconomy.
Accordingly theprojectwill fundanumberofmonitoringandresearchactivities toassess the
impactofhumanactivities,globalwarmingandotherfactorsonthelocalenvironmentinNorth
Province(Baa,Raa,LhaviyaniandNoonuatoll)ofthecountrytogaugechangesinkeyvariables.
The evidence would allow an opportunity to adopt policies that may slow down or arrest
processesthat
are
destructive
of
the
natural
capital
of
the
Maldives.
A multilayered monitoring and awareness effort will be supported by linking schoolaged
children with participating resort islands and public agencies to collect, consolidate and
interpret relevant information at the ecosystem level. This would provide an opportunity to
raise awareness of climate change impacts and reinforce the importance of maintaining the
naturalprotectivebuffersprovidedbycoralreefs.Communitybasedmanagementplansforthe
selectedsiteswouldbesupportedunderthisactivity.
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2.1.1 MapofMEMPArea
Figure1:MapofProjectAreaThe primary objective of this component is to expand the knowledge base regarding critical
natural resources on which the Maldives ecosystem and economy depend. Recognizing that
there are insufficient resources in the project envelope to fill all the information gaps, this
component selectively targets issues and information gaps where assistance is most urgently
neededandpromotesactivitiesdesignedtostimulatediscussionsandpolicydeliberationsthat
wouldleadtogreatercommunityawarenessandbetterdecisionmaking.
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Amajorfocusofthiscomponentwillbeonaddressingtheissueofbuildingclimateresilienceby
improved management and stewardship of the countrys coastal resources (marine and
terrestrial).
This component will explore the status of the bait fishery, the interactions between coral
recovery(health)andfishstocksaswellasprovideinputsforthedevelopmentofabaitfishery
managementplan.
The
Project
will
support
monitoring
by
professional
scientists
that
in
some
instanceswillbesupportedbycommunitiesasaneffectivewayofcreatingawarenessandalso
collectingbasicdatainasystematicfashionfromalargenumberofsites.
2.1.2 Sub-component3.1:ErosionandtheTerrestrialEnvironment Supportmonitoringandtechnicalreportstoaddresstheissueoferosion,harbourimpacts
anddesigntominimizeerosion,landusealternativesandsoftengineeringsolutionssuch
asmangroveseedingtoarresterosion.
Awarenessraisingandcommunityinvolvementwillbecentraltothissubcomponent.
2.1.3Sub
-
component
3.2:
Marine
Environmental
Monitoring
and
Coral
Reefs
The main policy focus of this subcomponent will be on addressing the risks of climate
change,andenhancingnaturaladaptivecapacity.
An assessment of coral tolerance to climate change, reef connectivity and critical
climateresilientreefareas.
CommunitymonitoringcombinedwithtechnicalassistancetoMarineResearchCentre
(MRC)willfeeddirectlyintotheformulationofanationalbaitfisherymanagementplan
to give emphasis on seeking more sustainable alternatives to the current bait fishing
practices.
2.2.3 Sub-component3.3:SpatialPlanning
Will
allow
Department
of
National
Planning
(DNP)
to
extend
its
assessments
into
the
marine environment and to take both terrestrial and marine variables into account in
planning, raising the quality of landuse planning to a new and higher level, and to
facilitatingtheintegrationofenvironmentalconcernsinlanduseplanning.
Support acquisition of software, hardware and processing of satellite imagery in digital
form,thetrainingofspecialistsintheirinterpretation.
Trainingneededtobuildcapacity.
2.2.4 Sub-component3.4:IntegrationofFindings:ReportsandaPilotRSEA RSEAtoexaminehowfactorscumulativelyaffectecologicalandhuman livingconditions
withinaprescribedarea.
Communitiesare
expected
to
play
alead
role
in
defining
the
scope
of
the
exercise
and
being involved in understanding and assessing the consequences of alternative
developmenttrajectories.
Integration and use of information will proceed to inform policy and for development
decisions.
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2.3 MonitoringProgrammeAreaTable1:CommunityMonitoringProgrammeArea1
Atoll
EnvironmentProtectionAgency2 MarineResearchCentreTerrestrialMonitoring(inhabitedislands)
ErosionMonitoring(inhabitedislands)
ControlledSite
(TerrestrialandErosion)
InhabitedIslands Resorts ControlSites
NoonuManadhoo Manadhoo Dhigurah Manadhoo
Medhafushi/
IrufushiDhigurah
Velidhoo Holhudhoo Velidhoo Maavelavaru
Kendhikolhudhoo Kendhikulhudhoo Kendhikolhudhoo
RaaUngoofaaru Hulhudhuffaaru Vandhoo Ungoofaaru Meedupparu Vandhoo
Meedhoo Alifushi Meedhoo
Vaadhoo Meedhoo Vaadhoo
BaaEydhafushi
Eydhafushi
Olhugiri
Eydhafushi
Sonevaafushi
Olhugiri
Kamadhoo Thulhaadhoo Kamadhoo RoyalislandHorubadhoo
thila
Kudarikilu Dhonfanu Kudarikilu Landaagiraavaru
Hithaadhoo Hithaadhoo
LhaviyaniNaifaru Naifaru Lhoassalafushi Naifaru Madhirguraidhoo Fushifaruthila
Hinnavaru Hinnavaru Hinnavaru KureddhuKureddhu
express
Kurendhoo Kurendhoo Kurendhoo Kanuhuraa Lhoassalafushi
Komandoo
1 Islands ofBaaatollwerenotvisited in the inceptionperiodas lotofenvironmentalactivities areon
goinginBaaislandsfromAtollEcosystemConservation(AEC)projectattheperiod.2Theselectedislandsaresubjectedtochangewhenthefinalconsultanciestakesplace.
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3. Demographics3.1 PopulationSizeWhen presenting the population size, females and males are presented in the same graph
allowingcalculatingthetotalpopulationsize.Thiswillhelptoeasilycomparethepopulationsize
inthe
target
islands
and
also
between
the
different
atolls.
Itisseenthatthefemaleandmalepopulation isalmostequal ineachofthe islandwithminor
differences.
Figure2:PopulationSizeoftheMonitoringIslandsSource:Census2006
According to the Population and Housing Census (Census, 2006), from the selected islands
Lh.Naifaru(3687)andLh.Hinnavaru(3017)hasthehighestpopulation.
AdetailtablewhichgivesthepopulationsizesofeachislandisattachedwiththeAnnex.
847 639 636 894 1,659 648 1,840 1,035 791 898 1,517 179 158 1,249 389 114 196 899
680
565 565
822
1,358
570
1,847
939
725838
1,471
141 147
1,160
369
117159
860
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
Ho
lhu
dhoo
Ke
dhiko
lhu
dhoo
Mana
dhoo
Ve
lidhoo
Hinnavaru
Kuren
dhoo
Na
ifaru
Alifus
hi
Hu
lhu
dhu
ffaaru
Mee
dhoo
Ugoo
faaru
Vaa
dhoo
Dhon
fanu
Ey
dha
fus
hi
Hithaa
dhoo
Kama
dhoo
Ku
dari
kilu
Thu
lhaa
dhoo
Noonu Lhaviyani Raa Baa
PopulationSizeofMonitoringIslands,2006
Female Male
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3.2 AgeStructureThemonitoringislandsagestructureisrepresentativeofthenationalagestructure,whichgives
moreyouth,thenchildrenandlessoldagepeople.Thestructureisslowlychanging.Hence,the
youthpopulationandoldagepopulationincreases,givingrisetonewconcerningissuesE.g.:the
increase in the number of youths who are unable to find employment opportunities leads to
othersocial
problems.
Majority of monitoring islands population is youth and children. In addition, there is a huge
disparitybetweenatolls.ThismightbeduetoLh.NaifaruandLh.Hinnavarubeingurbancentres
withextrahighpopulationcomparedtoalltheotherislands.
Figure3:AgeStructureofMonitoringIslands,2006Source:Census2006
According to the Population and Housing Census (Census, 2006), the highest population
structureagegroup less isthanbetween1539years(11,237),whichisfollowedbybetween
less than 14 years age group (10,123), then between 40 64 age group (4,782) and the last
being65andabove(1,675).
AdetailtablewhichgivestheagestructureoftheislandsisattachedwiththeAnnex.
1960 2334
970372
2782
3192
1402
515
3356
3388
1330
451
2025
2323
1080
337
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
Lessthan14 years Between1539 Between4064 65andabove
AgeStructureofMonitoringIslands,2006
Noonu Lhaviyani Raa Baa
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3.3 IslandSizeMaldiveshasanareaoflessthan300squarekilometres(115squaremiles)andatotalcoastline
of 644 kilometres (400 miles). The islands form a narrow chain 820 kilometres (510 miles) in
length and 130 kilometres (81 miles) in width within an area of 90,000 square kilometres
(34,749squaremiles)ofocean.Inaveragemostoftheislandsaresmall insizeandfew islands
arebig.
Figure4:MonitoringIslandsSize,2005Source:TsunamiImpactAssessmentSurvey,2005
AccordingtotheTsunamiImpactAssessment(TIA,2005),selectedislandsfromNoonuatollare
biggerthantherestoftheselectedmonitoring islands;specificallyN.Kendhikolhudhoo isfour
timesbiggerthantheaveragesizeoftheisland.
Adetailtablewhichgivesthesizeofislands(inha)isattachedwiththeAnnex.
17
219
92
43
1320 14
46 49
31 28 31
1322 28 16 14
5
0
50
100
150
200
250
Ho
lhu
dhoo
Ke
dhiko
lhu
dhoo
Mana
dhoo
Ve
lidhoo
Hinnavaru
Kuren
dhoo
Na
ifaru
Alifus
hi
Hu
lhu
dhu
ffaaru
Mee
dhoo
Ugoo
faaru
Vaa
dhoo
Dhon
fanu
Ey
dha
fus
hi
Hithaa
dhoo
Kama
dhoo
Ku
dari
kilu
Thu
lhaa
dhoo
Noonu Lhaviyani Raa Baa
Size
in
Hectors(Ha)
IslandSize(inHa),2005
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3.4 GenderMaldivian men are usually the social and economic heads of households, however, women
shoulder the daytoday management and decision making within the household. Hence, if a
malecanberepresentedfromasectorthenafemaledoesnotrepresent.
The
timings
of
the
meeting
plays
an
important
role
in
Males
and
Females
participating
in
the
meetings,atspecifictimesofthedayfemalesaremorehookedwithhouseworkthantheother
times(e.g:morningandlunchtime).
Figure5:GenderofRespondentsOftherespondents,82%(76individuals)weremale,whiletherest24%(26individuals)were
females.Hence,itisnotablethatmoremalesparticipatedintheinformationsessionsaswellas
interviews.Asnotedabove,thismightbeduetothetimingsofsomemeetingswhichweremid
afternoonormorning,wherekitchenandhouseworkforwomenismosthectic.
Female
3627%
Male
97
73%
Genderoftherespondents
Female
Male
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Figure6:Numberofpeopleparticipatedininformationsessions,byGender
The number of people participated in the information session and interview session were
different. More people participated in the information session, while selected people
participatedintheinterviewsession.
15 1619
129
20
1416
49
9 1011
21
12 11
5
30
6 6
02 1
3 35
73
17
75
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Manadhoo
Velidhoo
Kendhikolhudhu
Holhudhoo
Irufushi
Ungoofaaru
Meedhoo
Vaadhoo
Hulhudhufaaru
Alifushi
Angolhitheem
Rasmaadhoo
Naifaru
Hinnavaru
Kurendhoo
Noonu Raa Lhaviyani
NumberofPeopleParticipatedintheInformationSessions
Men Women
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3.5 AgeYoungergenerationsarebecomingmoreawareofthedelicatenatureofourecosystemandits
vulnerabilitytonaturalandmanmadechanges.Thismightbeduetothefactthatenvironment
ismoreintegratedintotheschoolcurricula.Hence,itisnotablethatmoreyouthparticipatedin
theinformationsessionsaswellasinterviewsessions.
Figure7:AgeStructureofRespondentsThemajorityoftherespondents,49%(65individuals)wereoftheagegroupbetween21to35
year,whichwas followedby theagegroupof36to50yearsofage (27%36 individuals).The
restwereoftheagegroup51andabove(9%12 individuals),people lessthan20yearsofage
(8%10)andapopulationwhichdidnotmentiontheage(8%10individuals).
Lessthan20
10
7%
Between21and35
65
49%
Between36and50
36
27%
51andabove
12
9%
Notmentioned
10
8%
AgeStructureofRespomdentsLessthan20 Between21and35 Between36and50 51andabove Notmentioned
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3.6 SectorPeople were invited from the main sectors of the island, including selected people from the
NGOs,GOs,anddifferentsectors(health,education,fisherman,farmers).
Figure8:EmploymentofRespondentsbySectorThemajorityoftherespondents,30%(40 individuals)wereworking intheCivilService,which
wasfollowedbyagroupofrespondents,28%(21individuals)whowerenotemployed.Thiswas
followedby
Educational
and
Health
sectors
with
15%
(19
individuals)
and
9%
(12
individuals)
respectively.Therestweredividedintosmallsubsectorssuchasengineering(5%7individuals),
fishing (5%7 individuals), business (4%5 individuals), NGO/WDC (2%3 individuals), carpentry
(2%3individuals)andotherssectors(7%9individuals).
CivilService
40
30%
Education
19
15%Health
12
9%Engineering
7
5%
Fishing
7
5%
Business
5
4%
Carpentry
3
2%
NGO/WDC
3
2%
Others
9
7%
UE
28
21%
EmploymentSectorofRespondentsCivilService Education Health Engineering Fishing Business Carpentry NGO/WDC Others UE
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4. MonitoringProgrammes4.1 CoastalErosionMonitoringCoastalerosion isprevalentonmany islandsintheMaldives.Indeed islandcommunitiesinthe
Maldives have been confronting coastal erosion throughout the history of occupation of the
islands.Coastal
erosion
has
become
one
of
the
most
urgent
and
serious
issues
Maldives
is
facing
afterthe2004TsunamiandstrongswellswhichlashedthecountryinMayandJune2007.Island
communities have also recognised coastal erosion as the most serious environment problem
they are facing according to the Public Perception Survey undertaken in 2007. Consequently,
coastalerosionmayposegreatereconomicriskto infrastructureandsocioeconomicactivities
than ever before. Therefore, coastal erosion may be expected to become an even greater
managementissueoverthecomingdecades.
Although,coastalerosionisoneofthemajorthreatstotheislandswellbeingintheMaldives,
therehasbeennoresearch/studyconductedtomonitortheeffectstothecoastaldynamics.In
2007,theERC(EPA)establishedaNationalCoastalMonitoringNetwork(NCMN)whichaimedto
monitortheeffectstothecoastaldynamicsduetoseasonalchanges.
Under theNCMN11 (eleven)uninhabited islands were randomlyselectedacross thecountry:
Hdh.Hondaidhoo,Hdh.Kanama,F.Himithee,F.Madivaruboduhuraa,V.Rahgandu,V.Fohtheyo
boduhuraa, Ga. Mandhoo, Gdh. Rahadhoo, Gdh. Havodigalaa, S. Dhigihera and S.
Kedavaaherais. Each of these islands is surveyed twice; once during NE monsoon and once
duringSWmonsoon.Uninhabitedislandswereselectedtoprovideabaselineforislandswhere
therearenomanmademodifications.ThemonitoringdatacollectedarebeingsecuredatEPA
andanalysisyettobeundertaken.
4.1.1BeachErosionDataTable3:IslandswithBeachErosion
Islandswithbeacherosion
Islands
withfurtherbeacherosion
Percent PercentAtoll AreaName 2004 2005
NoonuHolhudhoo 100 100Kedhikolhudhoo 100 100Manadhoo 100 0Velidhoo 100 100
LhaviyaniHinnavaru
100
0
Kurendhoo 100 0Naifaru 100 0
RaaAlifushi 100 100Hulhudhuffaaru 100 n.a.Meedhoo 100 0Ugoofaaru 100 0
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Vaadhoo 100 100
Baa
Dhonfanu 100 0Eydhafushi 100 0Hithaadhoo 100 0Kamadhoo 100 0Kudarikilu 100 0Thulhaadhoo 100 0
4.2 TerrestrialEcosystemMonitoringProgrammeEcosystemsoftheMaldivescanbecategorizedas islands,reef,coastal,mangrove,swamp,sea
grassandopenoceansystems.Maldivesbeinganationofatolls,thedominatingenvironmentis
themarineenvironmentwithcoralreefs forming themajorecosystem.Theotherecosystems
suchasseagrass,mangroves,coastalvegetationandswampsarelimitedspatiallyandtherefore
ofsignificantimportancetothecountry.Therehavebeennocomparativesurveysofterrestrial
ormarinebiodiversityintheMaldivianarchipelagoasawhole.Mostbiodiversitystudiescarried
outtodatehavebeenresearchorientedprogramsorprojectssuchasthe:
Maldives Protected Area System (MPAS) Project: Assessment of Eidhigali Kulhi and
KoatteyArea,S.Hithadhoo,Maldives
HuraaMangroveParkProject: asocioeconomicandecologicalmonitoringassessment
was carried out and a socioeconomic and ecological monitoring toolkit for Huraa
MangroveParkwasdevelopedwithfinancialandtechnicalassistancefromUNEP,IUCN
andWetlandInternational.
AtollEcosystemConservation(AEC)project:detailedmarineandterrestrialbiodiversity
of
Baa
Atoll
is
being
carried
out
with
funding
and
technical
assistance
provided
under
theGEF/UNDPfundingmechanism.
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4.3 BaitandReefFisheryMonitoringProgrammeTunafishingisthesinglemostimportantfisheryactivityintheMaldives.Currentcatchesareof
theorderof the150,000MTperyearprovidingover90millionUS$ indirectexportearnings.
Thefishingactivityitselfprovidesdirectemploymentforabout16,000peopleandthousandsof
moreinpostharvestactivities.ThefisheriescontributiontoannualGDPisabout10%.Fishingis
conductedfrom
pole
and
line
which
requires
live
bait
taken
from
coral
reefs.
Sustained
catches
of live bait is critical for the poleandline tuna fishery which the economy and peoples
livelihoodsareheavilydependentupon.
The live baitfish monitoring component under the World Bank supported Maldives
EnvironmentManagementProjectprovidesauniqueopportunitytofurtherstudythestatusof
the bait fishery.Themainobjectiveof thebait fisherycomponent is todevelopabait fishery
management plan. In doing so a complete analysis of baitfish data available at the Marine
ResearchCentrewillbeundertakenandnewdatawillbegatheredfromtheprojectarea.
Livebaitfishingisanessentialcomponentofthetunapoleandlinefisheryandcontinuestobe
undertaken as part of the daily tuna fishing operations. In the past live bait fishing was
undertaken
in
early
mornings
utilized
square
lift
nets
deployed
from
the
sides
of
boat.
This
technique of live bait catching involved making use of divers in water where the schools are
activelyluredontothenet.Thetaskistimeconsumingandrequireslargenumberofpeople.
Livebaitfishingoperationshave,however,changedfromanearlymorningactivitytonighttime
activityusing lights.Althoughsome fishermen initially feltstronglythatnight timebait fishing
activitiesusing lightswasdetrimentaltobait fishpopulationsand tuna fishery ingeneral, it is
nowroutinelypracticedbyall fishermenthroughouttheMaldivesand isconsideredtobethe
mosteffectivewayforcatchinglivebait.Theswitchfrommorninglivebaitfishingoperationsto
thenighttimehastremendously improvedtheefficiencytotunafishingeffort.Increase insize
oftunafishingvesselshas increaseddemandforlivebait.Quantitiesrequiredatpresenttimes
caneasilyexceed0.5MTperfishingtrip.
The
live
bait
species
used
in
the
Maldives
are
small
demersal
species
live
on
coral
reefs
and
shallow area of the atoll lagoon, and that have short generation time and high population
throughput. Naturally their abundance and catchability varies greatly between seasons and
regionsthroughouttheMaldives.Thehighnaturalvariabilitycombinedwiththelargequantities
requiredper fishingtripandyear round fishinghaveresulted fishermencomplainingofabout
shortagesoflivebait.
There are other fisheries that utilize live bait creating additional demand on the resource.
Variousformsofreeffishingandtheyellowfinhandlingfisheryrequire largequantitiesof live
baitonaregularbasis.Alsobaitfishvarieties,particularlyspratsarenowroutinelycaughtand
landed as a food fish. These all have increased total live bait catch currently estimated over
25,000MTperyear.
Givetheessentialnatureofthelivebaitfisheryfortunafishing,manyviewtheshortagesofbait
supply may be an impediment for further expansion of the tuna fishery. At a time when the
industryisdemandingecolabellingofthetunafishery(suchasMSCcertification),concernover
overexploitionofbaitresourcesisofseriousconcerntofisherymanagers.
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4.4 CoralReefandCoralReefEcosystemMonitoringConservation,sustainableuseandmanagementofcoralreefresourcesareamongthenational
priorities in the Maldives as the countrys economy is largely dependent on the health and
resilience
of
the
coral
reefs.
Degradation
of
coral
reef
resources
because
of
natural
and
or
humanimpactshasbeenexperiencedmorefrequentlyandintensivelyinrecentyears.
The Marine ResearchCentrebegananationalcoral reef monitoringprogramafter thesevere
bleaching in 1998. The bleaching led to high mortality of many of the coral populations
throughoutthecountry.Monitoringofselectedsiteswasconductedyearlyfrom1998to2005
withthepurposeofquantitativelydocumentingthepostbleachingstatusandcurrenthealthof
theshallowwatercoralcommunitiesonthereefsintheMaldives.
The reef recovery process over the last 10 years is variable among the 15 monitoring sites
established in 5 regions (atolls) from north, centre and south of Maldives. Recovery in the
southern atolls was highest while the northern atolls showed the slowest gain in coral cover.
Factors
influencing
the
coral
reef
recovery
such
as
successful
reproduction
and
recruitment
of
corals,corallarvaltransportandreefconnectivityandotherprocessappeartobecomplex.
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TheMaldiveshasarichbiodiversityandthecoralreefecosystemisoneofthemostproductive
ecosystemswithlinkagesrangingfrommicroscopicplanktontothegiantspermwhale.
TheMaldives isveryvulnerableaswell.Theverysmallsizeandvirtual isolationofthe islands
maketheirecosystems,bothonlandandthesea,particularlyfragile.Untilrecentlythelifestyles
of Maldivians had beensosimple that its impact on the environmentwasminimal. However,
therapid
socio
economic
development
and
fast
growing
population
have
greatly
contributed
to
thedegradationoftheenvironment.
Current environmental issues stem in large part from the high population density which is
aggregated onto relatively few islands in each atoll. The problems of a number of the more
densely populated islands and some tourist resorts have reached critical levels in terms of
environmental management. The following subheadings describes briefly on the problems
associatedwiththeislandcommunities.
5.2.1 BeachErosionThe islands of the Maldives are very transient, building and eroding at a rapid rate, and thus
beach erosion is a very widespread
problem.
Severe
cases
of
beach
erosion have been reported by
inhabited islandsandseveralresort
islands.
Itwas foundthatcausesoferosion
vary greatly from one island to the
other and the causes identified
include: loss of a source of sand;
increased exposure to the incident
wave climate due to historical
miningofthehousereef;changesin
the
near
shore
current
patterns,
eitherduetonaturalcausesorman
madechanges,suchasconstruction
ofcoastalinfrastructure;changes in
the natural sediment balance; and
up drift impoundment of sand
behind coastal structures built
withoutprefilling.
Constructionofgroynesandothersuchstructureshelps inbringingaboutsanddepositionand
beach consolidation. However, it also often leads to further complications, especially if the
constructions are improper. As a consequence of a lack of investigation of local current and
waveregimespriortoconstructionactivities,anumberofbreakwatersanddefensestructureshave been damaged by normal wave and current action resulting in expensive repair and re
design.
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Manadh
oo
Ho
lhudh
oo
Irufu
shi
Ungoo
faaru
Alifu
shi
Kurendh
oo
Vaadh
oo
Meedh
oo
Hu
lhu
dhu
faaru
Ve
lidh
oo
Ken
dhiko
lhud
hu
Naifaru
Hinnavaru
Percentage
ofpeople
CoastalErosion
Figure10:CoastalErosionasaproblem,bypercentageofrespondents
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5.2.2 FloodingThe islands of Maldives are reef
based and coral reefs serve as
natural breakwaters. With damage
to thecoral reefscomes thebigger
danger
of
loosing
the
natural
protection of the islands from the
waves and currents. An island with
a degraded reef is more open for
coastaldamagesismoresusceptible
to inundation by uncontrolled
waves reaching the shore. Many
islands already suffer inundation
andshorelineerosionbecauseofits
lowelevation.The inundationoften
leads to freshwater shortages and
disease
outbreaks.
Itwas found thatoneofthecauses
offloodingwashighrainfall.Inrainy
season the islands are filled with
puddlesofwaterduetothehardenedsoilwhichtrapsthewaterontop.Thisactsasanesting
groundformosquitoesandotherparasites,whichcreatesotherhealthandhygieneproblems.
5.2.3 Contamination ofWaterLens
High density human populations
affect freshwater aquifers in two
ways:
by
increasing
the
volume
of
daily water removal, and by
restricting aquifer recharge.
Freshwater resources are currently
criticalinanumberofislands both
inhabitedandsomeresortislands.
The volume of untapped
groundwater resources on other
islands is unknown. However, it is
notable that these freshwater
lenses has been progressively
depleted,leading
to
th
einstallation
of desalination plants to supply
drinkingwatertotheresidents.
Changes to aquifer resources also affect the carrying capacity of the island with respect to
vegetation,bothnaturalandagriculturalcrops.Saltwaterintrusionandsalinationoffreshwater
suppliesisknowntobeaprobleminseveral,islands.
100
7973
67
54 5044 40
3025
10 90
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Ungoo
faaru
Na
ifaru
Vaa
dhoo
Ken
dhiko
lhu
dhu
Mee
dhoo
Hinnavaru
Hu
lhu
dhu
faaru
Ve
lidhoo
Kuren
dhoo
Mana
dhoo
Ho
lhu
dhoo
Iru
fus
hi
Alifus
hi
Percentage
ofpeople
Floodingand/orInundation
10093 90 88
8278 77
75 67 64
40
30
00
20
40
60
80
100
120
Ho
lhu
dhoo
Hinnavaru
Alifus
hi
Kuren
dhoo
Mee
dhoo
Na
ifaru
Vaa
dhoo
Hu
lhu
dhu
faaru
Mana
dhoo
Ken
dhiko
lhu
dhu
Ungoo
faaru
Ve
lidhoo
Iru
fus
hi
Percentage
ofPeople
ContaminationofWaterLens
Figure12:Contaminationofwaterlensasaproblem,bypercentageofrespondents
Figure11:Floodingand/orInundationasaproblem,bypercentageofrespondents
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5.2.4 WasteManagement5.2.4.1 SolidWasteDisposalSolidwastesincludedomesticandindustrialwastesoforganicandinorganicoriginandvariable
size, ranging from small tins to
whole
cars.
Waste
quantities
inislands and in the Maldives will
generally increase as the
population increases, but will
also increase on a per capita
basis as the standard of living
improves. Higher percentages of
paper, plastic, glass and metal
canbeanticipated.
5.2.4.2 SewageDisposalSewage
poses
a
series
of
potentialproblemsdependingon
the mode of disposal; discharge
of raw, untreated sewage into
the marine environment causes
nutrient enrichment, algal
blooms, deoxygenation and
humanhealthproblemsdependingonthesitingoftheoutfall.Suchconditionsadverselyaffect
coral growth. Sewagerelated problems are of concern around the densely populated islands
andsometouristresorts.
5.2.4.3 WasteOilDisposalWaste machine and lubricating oils associated with smallscale machine shops present a
problem in some islands; current disposal seems to be simply into the ground around the
workshopconcerned,resultingincontaminationofgroundwatersupplies.
5.2.5 Others5.2.5.1 SoilDegradationContinuousremovalofleaflitteranddumpingordestructionbyburninginterruptsthecycleof
nutrientreplenishmentinthesoil,resultinginreducedsoilfertilityandhencevegetationgrowth
rates.Thisproblem issevere inheavilypopulated islandsandsome touristresorts,where the
remainingvegetationmayalsobestressedthroughincreasedsalinityofgroundwateraquifers.
5.2.5.2 LandReclamationReclamationwhichintheMaldivesusuallymeansthecreationofnewlandrepresentsacapital
intensivesolutionto increasingthephysicalcarryingcapacityofaparticular island. Itresultsin
an increasedsusceptibilityofthe islandasawholeto floodingbycovering thereef flatwhich
facestheocean.Theprotectivevalueoftheunmodifiedreefflatmaybecalculatedintermsof
itsreplacementbyalternativemeansandifaddedtothecostsofthereclamationworkprovides
100 100 100 100 100 10091 91 90 90 88
69
38
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
Mana
dhoo
Ho
lhu
dhoo
Iru
fush
i
Ungoo
faaru
Na
ifaru
Hinnavaru
Ken
dhiko
lhu
dhu
Mee
dhoo
Ve
lidhoo
Alifush
i
Hu
lhu
dhu
faaru
Vaa
dhoo
Kuren
dhoo
Percentage
ofPeople
WasteManagement
Figure13:Wasteasaproblem,bypercentageofrespondents
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a more realistic cost/ha of such land than merely the reclamation costs alone. Such activities
occuronbothlargeandsmallscalesandareusuallyassociatedwithhumanpopulationcentres
andasabyproductofharbourdredging
5.2.5.3 ClimateChangeThe
Maldives
being
afragile
low
lying
small
island
ecosystem,
it
is
very
vulnerable
to
climate
changeanditsassociatedimpactsespeciallythepredictedsealevelrise.TheMaldivianlifestyle
relying heavily on the marine
ecosystems is also under threat from
the impacts of climate change. An
increaseintemperaturecanveryeasily
bring the reef growth and reef
ecosystems to an alarmingly poor
status.
5.2.5.4 CoralMiningIn
the
Maldives,
living
coral
is
exhaustivelystrippedfromshallowreef
tops of faros by miners to supply the
construction industry. Mining corals
reduces coastline protection against
normal tideandwaveinducederosion
and sand movements and increases
coastal susceptibility by effectively
increasing water depth. One
consequence is wave setup, thereby
increasingthepossibilityofstorminducederosionandflooding.
5.2.5.5 CuttingTreesIntheMaldives,cuttingtreesisexhaustivelystrippedfromcoastalvegetationbyinhabitantsto
supply the livelihood.Cutting treeshasthesimilarconsequencesasminingcoral, likereduces
coastline protection against normal tide and waveinduced erosion and sand movements and
increasescoastalsusceptibilitybyeffectivelyincreasingwaterdepth.Oneconsequenceiswave
setup,therebyincreasingthepossibilityofstorminducederosionandflooding.
Coastalvegetation isremovedorthenaturalecologicalsuccessionofthevegetation isaltered
duringconstructionofseafrontfacilities.Thischangeofthecoastalvegetationadverselyaffects
erosionandaccretionpatterns.Aswhentheprotectionoftherootstosedimentsisremoved,it
acceleratesthesedimentmovementprocess.
79 7873
56
40 38 36
2520
11 10
00
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
Hinnavaru
Ho
lhu
dhoo
Mee
dhoo
Hu
lhu
dhu
faaru
Ve
lidhoo
Vaa
dhoo
Ken
dhiko
lhu
dhu
Mana
dhoo
Alifus
hi
Na
ifaru
Ungoo
faaru
Kuren
dhoo
Percentage
ofPeople
OtherPeoblems
Figure14:OtherEnvironmentalProblemsaffectingislandpopulation
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5.3 Perception of Community Empowerment to Solve theEnvironmentalProblems
Maldives has a weak link on establishing and maintaining databases, specifically, using
databases for decision making. Hence, there is a need to establish a central database for
information relating to all aspects of environment of the Maldives. Without such a database,
quantificationof
environmental
problems
is
difficult
and
identifying
solutions
impossible.
Similarly, respondents view that they cannot solve these environmental problems due to
financialproblemsaswellaslackofexpertise,knowledgeandinformationontheareas.
Figure15:PerceptionofCommunityEmpowermenttoSolvetheEnvironmentalProblemsMajority of the respondents view that there is nothing much they can do to solve the
environment problems. Only 5 view that they can solve the problems contamination of the
waterlenswhile8%viewthattheycanstopcoastalerosions.Highernumberofpeople(18and
20people)viewtheycansolvetheproblemsofwasteandfloodingrespectivelyintheisland.
8
20
5
1814
54
2147
42
23
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
CoatalErosion Flooding Contaminationof
WaterLens
Wastemanagement Others
PerceptionofCommunityEmpowermenttoSolvetheEnvironmentalProblems
Yes No
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5.4 ComparativeImportanceofEnvironmentalProblemRankingA major concern in the country related to the environment is the lack of knowledge and
awareness on the issues as well as the lack of necessary resources to properly assess the
possible impacts. There is a need for research on localized environmental problems and its
impacts. There is also an urgent need for the development of resources to adapt to possible
impactsof
climate
change.
Figure16:ComparativeImportanceofEnvironmentalProblemRankingEventhough,wastemanagementisthemostcommonprobleminislands,coastalerosionisthe
most important problems to people which is following by waste. The third most important
problem is contamination of water lens and flooding. Other environmental problems, which
containalotofissuesisthelast.
46
2 2
15
2
15
3
19
27
2
5
12
27
12
3
0
22
8
9
8
0
4
0
0
31
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
CoatalErosion Flooding Contaminationof
WaterLens
Wastemanagement Others
ComparativeImportanceofEnvironmentalProblemRanking
Extremelyimportant Veryimportant Important Fair lyimportant Somewhatimportant
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5.5 Actions/activitiesUndertakenorCANbedonebyCommunitytoMitigateEnvironmentalProblems
According to the respondent there are several things they do or can be done to mitigate the
environmentalproblems.Majorityoftherespondentsviewedthefollowingastheactivitiesto
mitigateenvironmentalactivities;
Refraining from taking soil: This involves refraining from taking sand from beach and
coralsfromthehousereefforconstructionandotherneeds.
Cleaning: This involves cleaning several areas that need attention. The island, beach,
wastesiteandlagoonarecleanedbysomeislandsonregularbasisasanenvironmental
activity.ItisnotablethatthereareislandswithWDCsactivelyincleaningtheislandona
regularweeklyorfortnightbasis.
Waste management: As an activity of waste management island communities, collect
waste in selected sites, clean the waste sites and also refrain from dumping waste to
beachandothernaturalhabitats.
Creating awareness and training people in the area of environmental issues are also
taken
as
an
activity
to
mitigate
the
environmental
problems.
Planting tress: This includes planting trees in the coastal zones and building up the
terrestrialvegetationoftheislandtoreduceerosion.
However,therearemanyoftherespondentswhoviewthattherearenota lotofthingsthey
can do with themselves. Hence, they need assistance from government or outsider.
Respondentsidentifiedtheseassistancecanalsocomeasinkindorfinancially.
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5.6 MajorChangetoIslandEnvironmentinthepast5yearsFully aware of its dependence upon the marine and terrestrial environment, the Maldivian
society had learnt to coexist with nature. However, with the beginning of commercial
exploitationofresourcesandanacceleratedpaceofdevelopment,theenvironmentalsituation
haschangedconsiderably.Thisisidentifiedbythemajorityoftherespondents.
Figure17:IndentifiedMajorChangedtotheEnvironmentinthePast5YearsOftherespondents,99%(132 individuals)reportedthattherearemajorchangestothe island
environment,whiletherest1%(1individuals)reportedthattherearenomajorchangetothe
island environment in the past5years. Thismight happen becauseofpopulation growthand
increasing stress on the limited resources environmental issuesare today in various stages of
emergence.
132
99%
1
1%
IdentifyingChangestoEnvironment
Yes
No
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5.7 IndividualParticipationinEnvironmentalActivitiesWith the environmental advocacy campaigns (e.g.: Million tree program), developmental
projects (e.g.: Atoll Ecosystem Conservation Project) and associated environmental education
andtraining inthepast;awareness levelonprotectingtheenvironmenthas increased,thus it
canbeseenthatmorepeopleactivelyparticipateintheenvironmentactivities.
Figure18:RespondentsParticipationRateinEnvironmentalActivitiesOf the respondents, 84% (112 individuals) reported that they participated in environmental
activities, while the rest 16% (21 individuals) reported that they did not participate in
environmentalactivities,duetoseveralreasons.
Yes
112
84%
No
21
16%
RespondentsparticipationrateinEnvironmentalactivities
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5.8 CommunityParticipationinEnvironmentalActivitiesInthe inception trips lackof teamworkand increasingwas indentified inmostofthe islands.Several respondents identified inadequate community collaborative efforts as one of thebiggestsocialproblemsfacedbythecommunity. Thiswasfelttobeattherootofmanyother
social problems and conflicts. Reasons identified were increasing population and pressure on
landand
other
resources
were
noted
as
resultant
problems.
The
limited
opportunities
for
social
andentertainmentactivitieswerealsonotedascausingsocialproblemswithinthecommunity.
Figure19:CommunityParticipationRateinEnvironmentalActivitiesOf the respondents, 65% (87 individuals) reported that island communities participated in
environmentalactivities,whiletherest35%(46individuals)reportedthatislandcommunities
did not participate in environmental activities, due to several reasons. The major reasons
identifiedbyindividualsarecomprisedinthefollowinglist:
1. Competition between NGOs and other political groups; hence activities organised by
oneNGO/groupisnotsupportedbyothers
2. RivalrybetweenCommunity
Yes
87
65%
No
46
35%
CommunityParticipationRateinEnvironmentalActivities
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5.9 LevelofParticipationinEnvironmentalActivitiesWith celebration of Environmental activities/days and implementation of environmental
projects in the Maldives, which are media friendly gives the population an idea of the how
importantandtheneedtoparticipateintheenvironmentalactivities.
Figure20:LevelofParticipationinEnvironmentalActivitiesMajority
of
the
respondents
almost
85%
(111
individuals)
mentioned
that
they
participated
in
island level environmental activities. However, participation in the national level activities is
rather less20%(28 individuals).Thismightbeduetothereach isdifficulttothe islandswhich
aresealockedbutconductingislandlevelactivitiesarebytheislandersthemselvesareeasy.
28
111
105
22
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
100%
National Island
ParticipationinEnvironmentalActivities
Yes No
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5.10 Importance of knowing the Environmental Changes via aCommunityMonitoringProgram
Raisingpublicawarenessonenvironmental issueshasbeengivenahighprioritybyMEMP.To
accomplishsustainabledevelopmentandlifestyles,environmentallysoundactionsatindividual,
household and community level need to be initiated. A number of Government agencies and
NGOswill
be
involved
in
promoting
environmental
awareness.
Wall
posters,
television
and
radio
programmes will be used to disseminate information on specific issues of concern. These
programmes will attempt to inform the public on the state of the environment within and
outsidetheisland/regionincludingimpactsofhumanactivities.
Hence, environmental awareness and training programmes will be incorporated into
CommunityMonitoringProgrammes.
Figure21:ImportanceofidentifyingEnvironmentalChangesviaCommunityMonitoringProgramsOftherespondents,98%(129individuals)were interestedtoknowtheenvironmentalchanges
via CMP, while the rest 2% (2 individuals) were not interested to know the environmental
changesviaCMP.
Yes
129
98%
No
2
2%
ImportanceofindentifyingEnvironmentalChangesviaCommunityMonitoringActivities
Yes
No
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5.11 InterestedinCommunityMonitoringProgramThere isvirtuallynocapacityforenvironmentalprotectionandpreservationatislandlevel;nor
is there capacity in islands/atolls, either at the government or community level, to undertake
monitoring and management of natural resources. Given the geographic dispersal of the
population,communityparticipationinenvironmentalprotectionandconservationisimportant
tothe
long
term
success
of
the
programme.
Consultations with individuals regarding the interest in participation in the Community
monitoringprogrammeswereexceptional.Thiscanbesummarisedusingthefollowinggraph.
Figure22:RespondentsInterestedtoParticipateinCommunityMonitoringProgramsOftherespondents,94%(125individuals)wereinterestedinparticipatingCMP,whiletherest
6%(8individuals)wasnotinterestedtoparticipateinCMP,duetopersonalreasons.Themajor
reasonsidentifiedbyindividualswerelackoftimeduetocurrentemployment.
Yes
125
94%
No
8
6%
InterestedtoparticipateinCommunityMonitoringPrograms
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5.12 Community Monitoring Programs that Respondents areinterestedtoparticipate
The interest in programs is a representation of the sectors of the people participated in the
meetings and information session. It is notable that respondents preferred to participate in
activities that could be carried out staying in the islands, this is a representation of the high
numberof
civil
servants
participated
in
the
meetings.
People
showed
less
interest
to
participate
inactivitiesthatcouldbecarried inthemarineenvironmentcomparedtoactivitiesthatcould
becarriedintheland.
Figure23:CommunityMonitoringProgramsRespondentsareInterestedtoParticipateIt is seen that majority (86) of the people wanted to participate in terrestrial monitoring
activities, which is followed by Coastal erosion monitoring (69). A total of 39 and 36 people
showed interest in monitoring of coral reef ecosystem monitoring and in coral reef activities
respectively. It isnotablefrompreviousdiscussionsthat less fishermenorfishingboatowners
participated inthemeetings.Hence, lessnumber(28and22)were interestedtoparticipate in
reef fishery and bait fishery activities respectively. This can also be a representation of the
numberoffishermenorfishingboatownersparticipatedinthemeetings/interviewsessions.
2228
36 39
86 83
111105 97 94
47 50
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
Bait fishery Reef fishery CoralReef Coralreef
ecosystem
Terrestrial
vegetation
CoastalErosion
NumberofpeopleinterestedtoparticipateintheCMP
Yes No
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5.13 Activities Participated by Respondents and Community byLevel
5.13.1EnvironmentalAwarenessEpisodes of large masses of fish death, dying of house corals, erosion and many other
environmental
problems
caused
the
Maldivian
communities
to
be
concerned
of
the
environment.ItisnotablethattherearefewenvironmentalNGOsandclubsactivelyconducting
and participating in the environmental awareness programs. These activities, at a large is
organizedbythecentralgovernmentasGreenorenvironmentalcelebrations.However,there
are few national NGOs, such as Live and Learn who implement awareness programmes in
selected islands. The topics of these awareness programs circle around waste, water and
sanitationandclimatechange.
5.13.2CleaningProgramsManypeopleandenvironmentalgroupshavebeeninvolvedinprojectsandactivitiestocleanup
andthe islandsandthesea/lagoonsurroundingthe islands.Whencleaningthe island,specific
siteswere
identified
by
the
respondents
which
are
listed
below:
Wastesites
Lagoon
Harbor
Sea
Coastalvegetations
Terrestrialvegetations
Thecleaningprogramsaremostlytiedwiththecelebrationofanenvironmentaldayoractivities
ata national level. Individuals and Community groups are involved to arrange these activities
from islands.However,thereareschoolenvironmentalclubs inalmostallthe islandswhotake
theinitiative
of
implementing
environmental
activities.
ItisalsonotablethatmostoftheWDCsorwomeningeneraltakeanactiveroleincleaningthe
islandsonaregularweeklyorfortnightbasis.
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6. ConclusionsThe assessment acknowledged some indicators that could be used at a later stage for
monitoringandevaluationpurpose.Thesevariablesleadtoidentificationsofthestatusand
problemsassociatedwiththeislandenvironment.
Whenconsidering
the
objectives
the
first
and
foremost
importance
was
given
to
identify
the
viewsandopiniononsevereenvironmentalproblemsoftheislands. Intheprocess,someof
thequestionswhichwereperceivedtobemore importantwhileotherwereprovennotto
haveanyrelationshipweretakenoutafterthefirsttrip.
Throughout the analysis of this assessment, authors opinion on indicators analysed was
presented. Some of it has been backed by the empirical support. The next part of the
objective of the assessment, to aggregate, compile, summarize data and profile the
characteristicsofislands,havebeenpresented.
Theobjectivetoprovideanoverallpictureofthecurrentsituationintheislandsfocusingon
keysectorswassupportedbythegraphicalrepresentationsandopinionbasedanalyses.
Inconclusion,
this
assessment
was
able
to
achieve
all
of
its
objectives
successfully
by
being
ableto identifythe important indicatorsforRSEA.Hence,theassessmentcouldbeusedat
thewhiledoingthemonitoringprogramstoseetheimpactofMEMP.
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References
Development Planning Section, 2005,FifthNationalDevelopmentPlan2000 2005 [CDROM],
Finalreport,MinistryofPlanningandNationalDevelopment,RepublicofMaldives.
Development Planning Section, 2006, SixthNationalDevelopment Plan20062010 [CDROM],
Finalreport,
Ministry
of
Planning
and
National
Development,
Republic
of
Maldives.
MinistryofEnvironment,2004,StateofEnvironment,RepublicofMaldives.
PMU,2008,ProjectAppraisalDocument (PAD), MaldivesEnvironmental Management Project
4427,MinistryofEnvironment,EnergyandWater,RepublicofMaldives.PMU, 2008, Operations ManualConsolidated Final Report, Maldives Environmental
ManagementProject4427,MinistryofEnvironment,EnergyandWater,RepublicofMaldives.StatisticalSection,2007,StatisticalYearbook,2007[CDROM],Finalreport,MinistryofPlanning
and
National
Development,
Republic
of
Maldives.
Statistical Section, 2006,Population andHousingCensus,2006, Analytical Report, Ministry of
Planning and National Development, Republic of Maldives.
http://planning.gov.mv/en/images/stories/publications/analysiscd/index.html
StatisticalSection,2006,PopulationandHousingCensus,2006[CDROM],Finalreport,Ministry
ofPlanningandNationalDevelopment,RepublicofMaldives.
StatisticalSection,2008,StatisticalYearbook,2008[CDROM],Finalreport,MinistryofPlanning
andNationalDevelopment,RepublicofMaldives.
Statistical
Section,
2005,Tsunami
Impact
Assessment
Survey,
2005
[CD
ROM],
Final
report,
MinistryofPlanningandNationalDevelopment,RepublicofMaldives.
StatisticalSection,2004,VulnerabilityandPovertyAssessment II,2004[CDROM],Finalreport,
MinistryofPlanningandNationalDevelopment,RepublicofMaldives.
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IndividualQuestionnaire5MaldivesEnvironmentalManagementProject Informant(Name):
BaselineAssessment RSEAComponent Placeandareaofwork:
Atollandisland: Date: Gender: F M
Y
N
1.Isitimportanttomanagetheenvironment?
2.Isitimportanttoknowthechangestoenvironment?
3.Whataretheenvironmentalissuesyouface? PleaserankCanthecommunity
Solveit?
Erosion
Flooding
Salinisationofwaterlens
Wastemanagement
Others(plsspecify)
4.Whataretheactivitiesislandcommunitycancarryoutto
mitigateenvironmentalproblems?a. b.
5.Wasthereanyenvironmentalchangeinthelastyear?E.g.:
6.Doyouparticipateintheenvironmentalactivities?E.g.:
7.Doesthecommunityparticipateinenvironmental
activities?
If'yes'whatlevel?a.National
b.Island
8.Doyouneedawarenessprogrammestoconductcommunitymonitoringprogrammes?
9.Areyouinterestedtoparticipateinacommunitymonitoringprogramme?
10.If'yes'whataretheprogrammesyouliketoparticipate?
a.Baitfisherymonitoringprogram
b.Reef
fishery
monitoring
programme
c.Coralreefmonitoringprogram
d.Coralreefecosystemmonitoring
e.Terrestrialvegetationmonitoring
f.Erosionmonitoring
11.Canyoutellasignificantstory/incidentwhichhappenedtoyouorrelative/friendduetoenvironment?
5 The questionnaire used in the field was in Dhivehi for easy comprehension for people. This is a
translationoftheindividuallevelquestionnaire.
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ParticipationRateinEnvironmentalActivitiesTable6:ParticipateRateinEnvironmentalActivitiesbyCommunityandRespondents
Atoll Island RespondentsParticipation CommunityParticipation
Noonu Manadhoo 75 0Noonu Velidhoo 60 40Noonu Kendhikolhudhu 91 82Noonu Holhudhoo 78 89Noonu IrufushiRaa Ungoofaaru 90 100Raa Meedhoo 100 100Raa Vaadhoo 92 92Raa Hulhudhufaaru 100 81Raa Alifushi 70 50Lhaviyani Naifaru 89 89Lhaviyani Hinnavaru 79 7Lhaviyani Kurendhoo 75 75
LevelofenvironmentalactivitiesparticipatedTable7:LevelofEnvironmentalActivitiesparticipated,inpercentageresponse
Atoll Island National IslandNoonu Manadhoo 0 75Noonu Velidhoo 40 90Noonu
Kendhikolhudhu
27
91
Noonu Holhudhoo 11 100Noonu IrufushiRaa Ungoofaaru 50 90Raa Meedhoo 64 100Raa Vaadhoo 8 92Raa Hulhudhufaaru 0 94Raa Alifushi 10 50Lhaviyani Naifaru 22 89Lhaviyani Hinnavaru 7 79Lhaviyani Kurendhoo 38 38
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CommunityMonitoringProgrammesTable8:InterestsinparticipationinCommunityMonitoringProgrammes,byrespondents
Atoll Island Bait fishery Reeffishery CoralReef Coralreefecosystem Terrestrialvegetation CoastalErosion
Noonu Manadhoo 8 25 33 33 58 75Noonu Velidhoo 0 0 10 20 40 60Noonu Kendhikolhudhu 0 18 27 45 64 27Noonu Holhudhoo 11 11 22 22 78 100Noonu IrufushiRaa Ungoofaaru 30 20 20 30 50 70Raa Meedhoo 36 36 45 55 64 82Raa Vaadhoo 15 8 23 15 46 69Raa Hulhudhufaaru 6 19 25 13 75 75Raa Alifushi 30 40 30 20 70 50Lhaviyani Naifaru 22 22 22 22 56 11Lhaviyani Hinnavaru 29 36 36 50 86 71Lhaviyani Kurendhoo 13 13 25 13 88 50
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