Manta Festival 2018
The first ever Manta Festival of Maldives which was jointly organized by Manta Trust, Baa Atoll UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, Four Seasons Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, Baa Atoll Council and Dharavandhoo Council was held on the island of Dharavandhoo on 24 November.
The Guest of honour of the Manta Festival 2018 was ex-Maldives President, Mr.Mohamed Nasheed and the festival was also attended by the newly appointed Minister for Environment Dr.Hussain Rasheed Hassan. President Nasheed, Minister Hassan, President of Baa Atoll Council Mr.Mabrook Naseer, Managing Director of Baa Atoll Conservation Fund Mr.Abdulla Shibau and Vice President of host island Council Mr. Ali addressed the gathering at the opening ceremony of the festival.
Prizes were also given away for the winners of the competions organized for the event which included art, potography and manta sculpture.
Baa Atoll Manta Festival 2018 was a huge success and it was indeed a great team effort by the organizers. Maldivian Manta Ray Project - Manta Trust , Biosphere Reserve Maldives.Baa Atoll, Four Seasons Resorts Maldives, Baa Atoll Council and Dharavandhoo Council.
Hanifaru Season Stakeholder Meeting 2
The second stakeholder meeting of Hanifaru Season 2018 was held at Baa Atoll Council Secretariat today. 15 participants from 9 institutions were present in this meeting.UNESCO designates 24 new Biosphere Reserves
UNESCO has added 24 new sites to the list of Biosphere Reserves at the 30th Session on the International Coordinating Council of MAB Programme which is presented onoing at Palembang Indonesia.
The Republic of Moldova and Mozambique are the 2 countries who have designated biosphere reserves for the very first time.
Other countries with newly designated sites are Burkina Faso, China, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Ecuador and India. Three new sites were designated in Indonesia, while two in Italy and one were designated in Kazakhstan, Iran, Madagascar, the Netherlands, the South Korea, Russian Federation, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, the United Arab Emirates and the United Republic of Tanzania. According to UNESCO, biosphere reserves in Germany and Italy, have been extended with name changes, while five in Australia, one in the Netherlands and another in the United States, have been withdrawn from the Network at the countries’ request.
Every year the International Coordinating Council of UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme, adds new sites.
