Forestry policies, institutions and programmes |
Administration
The Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Marine Resources is in official charge of forests in Maldives, while the Ministry of Planning, Human Resources and the Environment is responsible for implementing all aspects of environmental policy and applying the law on environmental protection, which constitutes the legal basis for such protection in the country. A National Commission for Environmental Protection was established in 1989 to provide advice in this connection.
Policies
The objective of the second National Environmental Action Plan, launched in 1999, is to provide a detailed framework to be used over a six-year period for the implementation of sustainable development and environmental protection in Maldives.
The law bans the harvesting of natural vegetation without written permission from the government and also requires written authorization from the Ministry of Fisheries, Agriculture and Marine Resources for the extraction of mangrove wood. More recently, the ministry has restricted the granting of felling permits in order to protect existing vegetation. Only a few species may be cut for firewood. Regulations also require that two new trees be planted to replace any tree felled. People are allowed to gather fuelwood on uninhabited islands only on certain days of the week.
The public has a very limited role in decision-making on forest management. All land belongs to the State and the islands¿ inhabitants are granted communal land to grow annual crops, free of charge. They practise shifting cultivation and thus often convert forest land into farmland. The inhabitants also have access to community forests on the uninhabited islands.
Last updated: May 2004