Environmental groups have issued a joint statement calling on Addu City Council to stop its actions which have lead to significant deforestation in Addu City islands causing damages to coastal vegetation shelter belts and felling mature trees.
Environmental groups have expressed concern over unchecked deforestation in Addu City.
Save Maldives, Zero Waste Maldives and Eco Care Maldives jointly issued a press release on Sunday saying that the Addu City Council has been leading a series of tree felling and removal activities on all the islands of Addu City and that these activities are happening without any observable planning or organisation.
The statement said that coastal vegetation shelter belts (heylhi) of all the islands in Addu City are important areas which act as critical defences providing protection from weather events and ensure climate resilience of the islands. The statement added although tree cover, specifically in the heylhi of the islands of Maldives are areas protected by law, these areas of Addu City islands have now become areas that no longer receive that legal protection.
The statement said that Addu City Council chose to completely destroy the historic heritage landmark "Ruhfashaa" in Hithadhoo in March 2022 without public consultation or announcement.
Age old mature trees in the Hithadhoo Sharafuddeen School area and Addu Gan island were destroyed in a similar manner, the associations added.
They said plant trees. They said it would give shade and peace of mind .. pic.twitter.com/4MYTbsxvCG
— Ahmed Zahid (@ahmedzahid) November 25, 2024
"Mature trees of this kind constitute natural wealth and treasures that have been passed on to future generations by the hard work of thoughtful ancestors of the atoll," the statement said.
According to the statement, the city council has recently been demolishing parts of the Feheli Kilhi, as well as a vegetation and tree cover “buffer zone” adjacent to the Medheaari Kilhi in Hithadhoo. This “buffer zone” is a designated green area in the Addu City Hithadhoo Land Use Plan approved on 30 January 2024.
Additional concerns raised in the statement:
- There is no information on whether Addu City Council is conducting tree felling and ecosystem disruption in a buffer zone with necessary approvals, environmental impact assessments, or permits from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
- While the area is used by some community members to grow taro, the council's actions have obstructed community livelihood activities, depriving people of livelihood resources and causing damage to their crops with no regard to these realities and without providing adequate notice or compensation.
- Large areas close to the heylhi in Meedhoo have been destroyed despite concerns raised by the community and civil society actors.
- Damages caused to the heylhi in Hulhumeedhoo.
- The heylhi at Addu City Gaukendi and Hankede islands have been subject to significant destruction either by or with the knowledge and support of Addu City Council.
We need to figure out a way to construct roads without removing trees that have been growing for a long time. Prior to the construction for the SAARC Summit, the main street of Hithadhoo in Addu was similarly shaded with large trees in the middle. Today it's so hot. pic.twitter.com/i6fNl7KusN
— Dhivehi Archives by Naajih Didi (@NaajihDidi) September 26, 2022
According to the associations, one of the reasons why Addu City Council is removing trees is to clear land for housing. However, this is not an acceptable excuse because Addu City Council in partnership with the central government engaged in widespread and destructive reclamation of the reef ecosystems of all the islands on the western rim of the atoll in 2023, at a state debt expenditure of MVR 1.3 billion, the statement said.
"The cost of this ecological destruction was partially estimated to be between USD 343 million and USD 848 million. According to the Addu City Mayor, this reclamation was done to ensure that land for housing needs in Addu would be sufficient for the next 50 years. However, the observable reality is that 8 years on, there is still no housing available at the reclaimed reef area of Feydhoo in 2016," the statement said.
The associations; joint statement said that deforestation in Addu has reached uncontrolled levels, to the extent that the intent and purpose of such activities have become murky.
The associations have called on Addu City Council to stop the destruction of the islands and have called on the relevant authorities to intervene and take legal action against those responsible.
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