Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has said that they are receiving complaints of land reclamation work despite a temporary suspension of all major coastal development activities until June 10.
EPA Director General Ibrahim Naeem told Adhadhu that land reclamation work is continuing in various places and said that such sites are being informed to act in accordance with the EPA order.
He also expressed concern over the disregard to the EPA order but noted that most sites have discontinued reclamation work.
Naeem said the EPA has received reports of coral bleaching from various parts of the country.
"Dredging will damage the reefs. Coral bleaching is stressful for corals. They cannot absorb the external stress that occurs when they are so stressed and their immune systems are weak," Naeem said.
The EPA is conducting a survey to determine the level of coral bleaching, with the aim of determining whether further action is needed, Naeem said.
He added that it is best not to carry out any dredging during this period as there is no guarantee that the corals will survive.
"There's not much that can be done to combat bleaching. It's happening because of a lot of things, including the warming of the seawater. The only thing that can be done is to reduce the amount of stress that humans put on the corals during bleaching," Naeem said.
According to the EPA, the bleaching window for the Maldives in 2024 is projected to be from March until the end of June, peaking from early May until early June.
The agency said that it is necessary to take several actions to minimize further anthropogenic stress on coral reefs during that period.
