Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

Ranger Training Program for PA Teams of MAldives

The Ministry of Environment and Energy,MEE together with IUCNMaldives will be holding a Ranger Training Workshop for the protected area teams of Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve, Fuvahmulah and Addu Cities.

Four participants from Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve Team , 6 participants from Fuvahmulah and Addu City PA Teams from the CCAP Project implemented by Mnistry of Environment and Energy in Fuvammulah and Addu City together with 2 representatives from EPA, 1 representative from Environment Department of MEE and 2 student’s from Maldives National University will be undertaking the training.

The training will be conducted by IUCN Maldives through the USAID funded REGENERATE Project under the banner “Excellence in Field Management of Natural Resources, a Technical Training for Rangers” from 24 to 27 August 2017 in the capital of Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve, Eydhafushi.

7th Meeting of Island and Coastal Biosphere Reserves

The 7th Meeting of the World Network of Island and Coastal Biosphere Reserves and the 5th Training Course for Island and Coastal Biosphere Reserve Managers was held from 12 to 16 September 2017 at the Jeju World Natural Heritage Centre, Jeju Island, Republic of Korea.

The purpose of the training course is to provide biosphere reserve managers with an opportunity to share experiences and build capacities for climate change adaption and achieving sustainable development.

In order to achieve the objectives of the training courses the following topics will be addressed: climate change impacts on island and coastal regions and good practices; renewable energy, ecotourism and eco-education programmes; regional marketing for biosphere reserves; and management policy and land-use planning.

The meeting was attended by Shafee Ali, Outreach Officer of Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve office and Abdulla Shibau, Managing Director of Baa Atoll Conservation Fund.

2017 MAB Youth Forum

Young people are the future of Biosphere reserves, and they should be given a voice in shaping their territory and defining their engagement in the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme of UNESCO.

The MAB Secretariat felt, therefore, the need to offer, together with the Regional Bureau in Venice, an opportunity for all young people who care about the special territories in which they live, to become actors in the MAB Programme and to ensure the sustainable development of their communities in line with the Lima Action Plan. This initiative, announced for the first time during the 4th World Congress of Biosphere Reserves in Lima, Peru, has been welcomed by an ovation!

In this regard, Conservation of Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve office Ahmed Shan will represent Baa Atoll Biosphere in the upcoming MAB Youth Forum organized by UNESCO.

The Forum will be held in the city of Delta Po, Italy from 17 September to 21st September 2017.

MEE, EPA meets BR OFFICE

A meeting was held today between Ministry of Environment and Energy (MEE), Environment Protection Agency (EPA), Baa Atoll Conservation Fund (BACF) and Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve Office (BR OFFICE).

Director General of EPA, Mr. Ibrahim Naeem, Director General of MEE, Mr. Mohamed Zahir, Permanent Secretary of MEE, Mr. Ajwad Musthafa, MD of BACF Mr. Abdulla Shibau and the Acting Officer in-Charge of BR OFFICE (Outreach Officer), Mr. Shafee Ali together with Director of Administration of MEE Mr. Adam Usman were present in this meeting.

The main purpose of the meeting was to update MEE of work undertaken by BR Office and to discuss the issues and challenges faced in running BR Office.

The next meeting is scheduled for end of Quarter 4, 2017.