Destruction of nature: The price of development

The dangers of climate change, global warming and rising sea level surround the Maldives. But people have been hearing these warnings for over and over again for so long that it now falls on deaf ears. It has become a gimmick used to gain global attention.

The value of nature appears to fall short before the promise of development.

F. Nilandhoo, located some 147.57 kilometers of southwest of the capital, Male’ City, was once home to a thundi, a vast white sandy beach.

But 42.6 hectors of land from this beach and the surrounding lagoon area is now being reclaimed to develop an airport.

Lack of comprehensive consultation

It is crucial that the government conducts comprehensive consultations with the local population before conducting such a major project, especially one with such drastic consequences for the island’s environment.

But some of the island’s residents shared on social media that the government did not make enough effort to seek the opinion of the local population before deciding to conduct the project. Some residents said that the government chose convenience over taking proper measures to mitigate the potential environmental damage.

“I would not say they provided clear information regarding the airport project. I would say the government chose to reclaim this beach area that we use for swimming to do this because it was the cheapest option,” said one local, who spoke to Sun on condition of anonymity.

Nilandhoo Council’s president Ali Ahmed told Sun that the island’s youth were concerned about the loss of the beach. He said that this concern is also shared by people of other age groups.

An airport is our dream

Ahmed said that the island’s residents had been dreaming of having an airport there since 2017. But the development of the airport had remained hindered until now despite the allocation of funds in the budget over the years.

The residents of Nilandhoo grew increasingly concerned when the MDP administration began work on developing an airport in neighboring Magoodhoo, while they waited for their own airport.

The beginning of work on the airport in Nilandhoo therefore came as a welcome relief for the island’s residents who have been waiting for it for years.

They see sacrificing the beach as a small price to pay for an airport.

“As someone who conducted door-to-door visits during the recent [parliamentary] elections campaign to check the opinion of the people, I found that many of the people wanted an airport in the island, regardless of where it is developed,” said Mariyam Lahufa, a deputy minister at the Ministry of Social and Family Development, and a native of Nilandhoo.

If Nilandhoo does not want to sacrifice its beach, the only other option left is to develop one in the lagoon, separate from the island.

But this option is not appealing to the council or many of the island’s residents. It would require reclaiming land and developing a new island. There’s also the inconvenience of having to travel to another island to access the airport.

“In the majority of cases, domestic airports are developed on residential islands itself,” said Ahmed.

Ahmed said that while some of the island’s residents are concerned about the loss of the beach, they will get a better and more pleasant beach area once the airport project is done.

“God willing, once the airport is done, and especially once the land reclamation is done, we are making preparations to make first class arrangements to develop a space where people can swim in and have fun,” he said.

But the question remains – will the new beach will be a truly natural one? And will one developed after destroying the natural environment offer the same experience?

The land reclamation will create sediment – making the waters murky and destroying marine life.

“What are we supposed to sell to tourists now?” asked Humaida Abdul Ghafoor, an activist with the ‘Save Maldives’ campaign, regarding the council’s plan to expand tourism with the new airport.

Humaida questioned whether the airports developed by challenging the natural system and reclaiming land have produced the desired results. Humaida said that such projects, born out of political pledges, are not only compromising ecological resilience but also damaging the economy.

She gave the example of the airport in HA. Hoarafushi. In 2021, not long after the airport opened, swell wave surged flooded the airport and disrupted operations.

Humaida said that it shows the consequence of running projects against nature. It also costs hundreds of millions of more Rufiyaa to protect such areas, she said.

“I just don’t see any benefit from the government claiming they need to deliver their political pledges and choosing the most convenient method of doing things with complete disregard for what will happen to the island, how the island will be after, and whether it will actually benefit or damage the island,” she said.

EIAs hold no power; a mere formality

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is legally required for each infrastructure development project.

But even if EIAs uncover major environmental consequences, it does not stop projects.

Humaida said that the EIAs itself aren’t comprehensive.

“In the Maldives, the EIAs are usually specifically tailored for the benefit of project developers. It is done for the sole purpose of running the project,” she said.

The Maldives is among the most environmentally vulnerable countries in the world. Each and every infrastructure development project was implications for the environment.

So, is making such a huge environmental sacrifice the best way for Maldives to survive?

The country needs to assess the potential consequences of projects and find a balance between development and nature.

Global appeals by the government over Maldives’ vulnerability to climate change and the rising sea level is mere lip service, otherwise.