OPEN LETTER FOR THE URGENT ATTENTION OF: Minister of Tourism & Environment, Thoriq Ibrahim
19 October 2025, Hithadhoo, Addu City
Copied to:
The President’s Office
Parliament Committee on Environment and Climate Change
Environmental Regulatory Authority (ERA)
Minister Thoriq Ibrahim,
We write to you with grave concern regarding the proposed project for the extension of the link road in Hithadhoo, Addu City. The project, as we understand, involves “reclaiming” 2.5 hectares of land within the Moolekede Fishimathi (that Project ThimaaVeshi referred to as Hithadhoo Bedhi in advocacy material), cutting directly across a large and sensitive ecosystem that includes wetlands, mangrove forests, mudflats, and seagrass beds.
Addu has seen extensive reclamation projects over the years, with more than 260 hectares of land reclaimed within the atoll over the last decade, each carried out at significant environmental cost with long-lasting consequences; most of which have never been properly studied or monitored. To pursue further reclamation now, particularly within an ecologically sensitive ecosystem, demonstrates not only a complete disregard for environmental integrity and the principles of sustainable development that the Maldives proudly advocates on the global stage, but also a disregard for the long-term well-being of the community itself. It is deeply contradictory that the Maldives is being promoted internationally as the “World’s Leading Green Destination” and “Conservation Leader” while projects like this threaten the very ecosystems that give meaning to those expensive public relations titles. Once again, we are witnessing destruction disguised as “development” happening within the bounds of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
The Moolekede Fishimathi supports an incredible diversity of flora and fauna, including numerous species of birds, rays, turtles, crustaceans, and fish that rely on the area for feeding, breeding, and shelter. Several large mangrove clusters in the area fall directly within the proposed reclamation footprint and will be completely lost if the project proceeds, while many other clusters and individual trees in the surrounding area are likely to be inadvertently affected as well. Once destroyed, this cannot be recovered, restored, or replaced. Their loss would be permanent.
We are also deeply concerned about the narrative being promoted that no environmental damage will occur as a result of the project “because the mangroves will be relocated.” This claim is misleading, unscientific, inaccurate, and irresponsible. Mangroves cannot simply be transplanted from one site to another; the ecosystems are highly complex, biodiverse, ecologically interdependent, and sensitive to change. Furthermore, restoration is not a solution for the conservation of mangrove ecosystems. There is no successful precedent for such efforts in the Maldives. Any disturbance to these ecosystems threatens not only their own integrity, but also the very islands they defend. We know from past experiences, such as in HDh Kulhudhuffushi and GDh Thinadhoo, that the loss and degradation of protective mangrove ecosystems undermine the flood defenses and oceanic resilience of our islands.
According to the IUCN, over half of the world’s mangrove ecosystems could face collapse by 2050, and we have already witnessed widespread mangrove die-offs in the Maldives driven by the impacts of climate change. In light of these facts and realities, it is abundantly clear that the socioeconomically and legally responsible action is to preserve and protect our last remaining mangroves across the country, including those in Hithadhoo, instead of engaging in their wilful destruction.
Beyond its environmental and financial cost, the project poses a threat to Addu’s potential as a growing eco-tourism destination.
Although just outside the boundaries of the Koattey and Eidigali Kilhi Protected Area, the Moolekede Fishimathi is an integral part of the area’s appeal that will no doubt be disrupted by any ensuing reclamation and roadwork nearby. It is important to note that tourism in the islands of Addu is based on experience, not luxury. Every visitor who comes for the mangroves, the birds, and our interlinked, interdependent marine environment and the rich wildlife these ecosystems holistically provide, contributes to local income and livelihoods. Destroying these ecosystems means undermining Addu’s most sustainable economic opportunity while exposing our islands and ourselves to the worst impacts of global climate change.
Thus, we call on the Ministry of Tourism and Environment to immediately halt any reclamation and related activities connected to this project, whether planned or underway, and to reevaluate the needs of the community through a more inclusive planning process.
In addition, we request that the Ministry of Tourism and Environment support the Addu Nature Park and Addu City Council in conducting a comprehensive cost-benefit analysis of the proposed project.
Such an assessment should provide a clear, evidence-based understanding of the economic value of existing natural assets that stand to be lost or degraded. It must also evaluate the long-term costs of reclamation-related impacts, including flooding, drainage disruption, and biodiversity loss. By identifying the potential economic alternatives, such as eco-tourism and nature-based solutions, this analysis can demonstrate how sustainable growth is achievable without irreversible environmental harm.
Minister, as you noted on this year’s World Tourism Day, the theme of “sustainable tourism transformation” reminds us of tourism’s role as a catalyst for both socioeconomic growth and sustainability. We urge you to facilitate that transformation here in Addu by preserving our natural assets and strengthening local tourism.
In light of the above, and in recognition of the mandate of your office, we urge you to act decisively and in the spirit of preserving the integrity of our natural environment, and ensure that tourism in the Maldives remains sustainable, responsible, and equitable.
People of Addu, and of the Maldives at large, deserve nothing less.
Sincerely,
Project ThimaaVeshi (PTV)