Villimale Funavaa Campaign
Villimale Funavaa Campaign
Kaafu Atoll, Maldives
Public Campaign to Protect Villimale’ Greenery and Funavaa
Basic Facts: Funavaa
- Jan 2026 – Bank of Maldives announces the commencement of 5 housing projects by its subsidiary company BML Affordable Home Leasing Company Pvt Ltd in Hulhumale and Villimale
- March 2026 – GoM inaugurates “affordable housing” project to build 300 housing units with three 17-storey towers at the Viilimale Funavaa area which is the last old growth forest patch remaining in the entire Greater Male’ Region (GMR). Inauguration was held a week prior to the 4 April 2026 Local Council Elections. This decision was made by GoM with no public consultation with the people of Villimale or the GMR.
- March 2026 – peaceful protest against the project in Villimale met with hostile confrontation by People’s National Congress (PNC) “loyalists”
BASIC FACTS: green spaces
- 17 Oct 2024 – Ministry of Infrastructure announces (tweet) the completion of a feasibility study & MoU signing with the Government of China, to build a 100-bed tertiary hospital in Villimale. No public consultation or information about the location of the hospital. No public information about needs assessment for such a project in the GMR.
- Dec 2025 – State news outlet PSM reports survey design for 100-bed China funded hospital under way. Residents of Villimale get to know the planned hospital site was to displace the existing community garden and mature tree vegetation patch in its vicinity which is also linked to the Funavaa forest vegetation.
![Villimale Funavaa [SaveMaldives] aerial](https://savemaldives.net/main/wp-content/uploads/Villimale-Funavaa-SaveMaldives-aerial-1920.jpg "Villimale Funavaa [SaveMaldives] aerial")
– BML announces the commencement of 5 housing development projects, involving the construction of 3200 “affordable housing” units in Hulhumale Phases 1 & 3 and Villimale.
– The projects are reported to come under the purview of the Inclusive National Affordable Housing Scheme (INAH) of the Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA), which is the banking regulator in the Maldives.
– The projects are to be financed by BML Affordable Home Leasing Company Pvt Ltd, a subsidiary of Bank of Maldives (BML), where the Government of Maldives is the major shareholder.
– The projects are reported to have been contracted to local contractors –
1) Amin Construction Pvt Ltd
2) FW Construction Pvt Ltd
3) Rasheed Carpentry Construction Pvt Ltd
and foreign contractors –
4) Beijing Urban Construction Group
5) China Machinery Engineering Corporation
President Mohamed Muizzu inaugurates ‘ground-breaking’ ceremony to build three 17 storey towers in Villimale Funavaa area
A community organised event was held near the Funavaa for families and children to come together to draw, paint, enjoy the Funavaa environment. It was also a moment to witness the ongoing activities of enclosure by construction contractors in the Funavaa area, indicating the uncertainty of protecting these legally protected trees of Villimale.
Save The Funavaa : a guest blog post by Villimale resident, Ahmed Ikram (Aikey) was published on our Save Maldives Campaign blog, where he expressed his thoughts on the commodification of nature and the dissonance this causes.
A community event near the Funavaa to bring together people to enjoy the greenery, shade and cool of the Funavaa forest.
Villimale based NGO Save The Beach issues a press statement raising concerns about the project to build on the Funavaa area (Facebook).
Community gathering at the Funavaa and public engagement on the issue.
Constitutional case (Dhivehi) to protect the Funavaa submitted to the Maldives Supreme Court by 2 residents of Greater Male’ Region.
Case updates available at Miveshi site.
Community gathering supported by musicians at the Funavaa.
