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Elements of a Marine Protected Area in a Small Island Developing State - Republic of Maldives

Geoff Dews, Hussain Naeem, Unair Mohamed Badeeu, Aishath Hameed and Aminath Latheefa

AMSAT Pty Ltd, REPUBLIC OF MALDIVES

Theme: TH3

This contribution demonstrates the different methods used in producing a plan of management for a protected area in the Republic of Maldives. The protected area is a pilot programme under the Maldives Protected Areas Systems (MPAS) project, an AusAID-funded three-year programme which commenced early in 2000. The overall goal of the MPAS project is to contribute to the protection of ecological resources in the Maldives and thereby support the long-term ecological sustainable development and biodiversity of the country. The core activities under MPAS are the establishment of two pilot sites in the Maldives. The establishment of the pilot sites is designed to equip the local community as well as the Government of Maldives with the techniques for management and monitoring of protected areas. The first pilot project is in the far south of the country, on Addu Atoll. The site is small in total size but contains complex ecological structures of coral reefs, seagrass beds, mangrove stands, agricultural activities, freshwater systems that support unique bird populations, and traditional sites of importance. As with many remote communities involved in conservation projects, the communities in Addu Atoll are not familiar with deciphering resource maps or disseminating biological reports. In order to facilitate the development of a management plan for the area, a 1:500 scale model has been constructed near the site. The scale model is being used to represent resource maps produced from biological and community surveys. The level of information and the methods of displaying this information are outlined in the contribution.