Essential projects among land reclamation and coastal development activities suspended until June 10 over coral bleaching will be authorised, the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has said.
The EPA ordered a halt to activities that stresses coral reef ecosystems on June 9 due to the danger posed by rising ocean temperatures. The effect on coral reefs from activities carried out at such a time was likely to delay or prevent their recovery, the agency said at the time.
After the deadline from the previous order passed yesterday, the EPA said in a statement released today that despite ongoing bleaching, the Maldives has now been upgraded from the alert levels one and two to a watch status.
"It is this agency's serious appeal for all non-essential land reclamation and dredging projects in areas that include lagoons and the sea to be carried out after August 31," the EPA said today.
Moreover, the EPA called for mitigation measures recommended in environment impact assessment (EIA) reports to be fully implemented when essential land reclamation and dredging works are resumed.
The EPA stressed the importance of taking measures to minimise the adverse impact on tourism and fisheries as the two pillars of the Maldivian economy that depend on reefs.
The Maldives Marine Research Institute (MMRI) also advised the government to temporarily suspend all activities such as land reclamation that stresses reefs.
