Environment
Family displaced in Malé as bad weather continues
Several other incidents on land and at sea have been reported across the Maldives as a bout of bad weather with the onset of the south-west monsoon continues unabated.
22 May 2017, 09:00
Bad weather wreaks havoc across Maldives
On Wednesday night, a tornado struck the southernmost atoll, damaging 12 homes in the Hithadhoo ward of Addu City. The roofs were blown off nine homes and two trees fell on the roofs of three houses when the tornado hit around 10:30 pm.
18 May 2017, 09:00
Government seizes island leased for coral reef research
The government has moved to take back an island lease to Professor Hassan Ugail’s Korallion Lab for use as a marine station to conduct research on coral reefs.
02 May 2017, 09:00
On Fuvahmulah’s blackened beach, workers begin cleanup of tonnes of dumped rock pieces by hand
Workers are combing Fuvahmulah’s beach by hand in an effort to clean up several thousand tonnes of aggregate dumped on the island’s reef in a historic environmental disaster, as the EPA remains tightlipped on the extent of the damage.
04 Jan 2017, 09:00
Waste management corporation begins garbage collection in Malé
The state-owned Waste Management Corporation began collecting garbage from households in Malé this week as part of a broader effort to establish a waste management network in the capital.
27 Dec 2016, 09:00
Man fined US$7,000 for caging protected bird species
The Environment Protection Agency has fined a Maldivian man MVR111,500 (US$7,200) for capturing and keeping protected birds in his backyard. The hefty fine is the first imposed by the EPA for caging protected bird species.
20 Dec 2016, 09:00
Ruling party holds tea party to celebrate reef blasting
Government supporters on the southern island of Meedhoo gathered last Friday to celebrate the controlled destruction of the island’s reef to clear an oceanside channel in spite of environmental concerns.
21 Nov 2016, 09:00
Environment agency under fire for approving plan to blast reefs
The EPA approved reef blasting between the islands of Meedhoo and Ismahelahera in Addu Atoll on November 9, after it came under pressure from the government, according to informed sources.
14 Nov 2016, 09:00
Light earthquake strikes 300km east of Maldives
Three people from the northern island of Naifaru in Lhaviyani atoll reported feeling tremors after the quake struck around 3:30am. The magnitude 4.9 earthquake was not powerful enough to cause a tsunami.
12 Oct 2016, 09:00
Environment agency proposes record MVR633million fine for reef damage
The environmental regulator has proposed a record fine of MVR633million (US$45million) on a Vietnamese shipping company for causing damage to a reef in the Maldives
06 Oct 2016, 09:00
Police seize turtle shells, red corals
Catching or killing of sea turtle species, as well as the importation and sale of turtles and turtle products, have been banned in the Maldives since 1995. The removal and sale of corals were also prohibited by the 1995 fisheries law.
02 Oct 2016, 09:00
EPA assesses damage to Fuvahmulah reef from grounded ship
The Environment Protection Agency is assessing the damage caused to the Fuvahmulah reef after a Vietnamese cargo ship ran aground on the southern island’s lagoon.
18 Sep 2016, 09:00
Police to investigate illegal shark finning at Kulhudhuffushi
The investigation was launched after images of dried shark fins kept to be smoked in the sun surfaced on the social media
10 Sep 2016, 09:00
Airport project on protected island alarms environmentalists
Environmental groups say construction of an airport on the “unique and rare” island of Dhigulaabadhoo in southern Gaaf Dhaal Atoll would lead to biodiversity loss.
31 Jul 2016, 09:00
Can Maldives reefs recover from El Nino?
Environmentalists say Maldives reefs may not bounce back from this year’s El Nino as fast as the government expects because of human stressors, such as dredging and land reclamation.
31 May 2016, 09:00
Bridge pipes ‘stored’ on Gulhifalhu reef
Some 18 massive steel pipes imported for the ongoing construction of the China-Maldives Friendship Bridge are being kept on top of a coral reef near Malé.
30 May 2016, 09:00
Tidal surges wreak havoc at Malé’s new artificial beach
Storm surges caused extensive damage at the newly built artificial beach in Malé, Rasfannu, on Tuesday, uprooting lampposts, toppling chairs and bins, and displacing large swathes of sand inland.
19 May 2016, 09:00
Storms cause severe flooding across Maldives
Some 15 islands have reported damages from flooding to households and farms. Strong winds also uprooted trees and ripped off roofs in some islands.
19 May 2016, 09:00
Torrential rain and tidal waves forecast for central Maldives
The Met Department has issued a severe weather warning for central Maldives, forecasting torrential rain, severe thunderstorms and swell waves for the stretch of atolls between Lhaviyani and Meemu Atolls for the next seven days.
09 May 2016, 09:00
Maldives signs historic climate change agreement
The Maldives signed the historic Paris climate change agreement on Friday, urging big polluters to commit to reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
25 Apr 2016, 09:00
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