Income from protected areas within an island's jurisdiction will be provided to the island's council, President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih pledged today.
The president made the pledge during a campaign trip to Baa Maalhos with reference to the Hanifaru biosphere reserve near the island.
"In the future, a change will be made for the council to get income from protected areas within the island council's jurisdiction," he said.
Hanifaru has been protected for 10 years now and the government has decided to protect the area for a further decade, the president said.
The president said he believes that it is important for Maalhos and other Baa atoll islands to earn a portion of the income generated from the biosphere reserve. As a first step for the change, the government has decided to transfer management of protected areas within an island's jurisdiction to the council, the president said.
The government has declared 33 protected areas and development projects are carried out whilst ensuring that the country's natural beauty and riches would be inherited by future generations, he said.
If re-elected to a second term, the president pledged to identify means for generating the best income from protected areas and to carry out the work under a separate management.
Aside from President Solih, the other candidates in the presidential election are Male' Mayor Dr. Mohamed Muizzu from the People's National Congress (PNC), Qasim Ibrahim from the Jumhooree Party (JP), Ilyas Labeeb from The Democrats and Mohamed Nazim from the Maldives National Party (MNP). Faris Maumoon, Umar Naseer and Hassan Zameel are contesting as independent candidates.
