Maldives

Speech by the UNDP Resident Representative at the function held to release the report ‘Valuing Biodiversity’‐ the economic case for biodiversity conservation in the Maldives.

The President’s Office, 7th June 2009, 2.30pm

Your Excellency, President Mohamed Nasheed,

Honourable Ministers,

Distinguished guests,

Good afternoon.

At the very outset, let me thank the Government of Maldives for inviting the UNDP to this important milestone-event. It is indeed a pleasure and privilege for me to be part of the launching of the first-ever report on valuing the rich natural systems of the Maldives.

Oftentimes, economic indices such as the GDP or GNP are used to describe the prosperity of a nation. For Maldives, the foundation of the economic prosperity lies with its rich biological diversity and the ecosystems that contain this diversity. The linkages of the biodiversity and the economy are clear. However, this report will portray for the first time, these linkages in terms of proportions, percentages, and in terms of Dollars and Rufiyaa.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen,

The UNDP has been and continues to be the number one partner of the Government in addressing the environmental issues of the Maldives. From as early as before the UN Conference on Environment and Development of 1992, or in short, the Rio Conference, UNDP has been supporting the Government to comply with its environmental commitments and work towards sustainable human development in the Maldives.

The UNDP is pleased to be partners with the Government of Maldives in working through the Global Environment Facility (GEF)’s co-funded project, to produce this report. Through UNDP, the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) undertook this study. Various information sources were used to nourish this report. I commend the work that has gone into the production of this report by the IUCN, by the Government of Maldives, particularly the team from the Ministry of Housing, Transport and Environment and the GEF Project Team, and the UNDP Maldives team who supported this collaboration.

The conduct of this report is just one of the many outputs that UNDP and the national partners have committed to achieve. There are still other UNDP-supported projects on environment such on solid waste management, promoting renewable energy technologies, and enhancing community-based environmental management. Funding from UNDP through the UN Development Assistance Framework has been available since 2008 and I hope that the national authorities would act swiftly to move these projects forward before the end of the year.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen,

I commend the government for taking the lead among small island states in the global advocacy for climate change adaptation. It is evident that Climate Change is posing as a threat to the natural ecosystems of Maldives. Quantifying these threats would not be at all an easy task. This report, however, has information that may be used to attempt such. There has never been a more urgent time to respect the environment than now. And as I had said before, “there is no better time to act than NOW – on the pledges made - to deliver on these promises.” The UN system continues to be one with the Maldives in its global advocacy for countries to take concrete steps to tackle climate change. As the UN Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon, stated during this year’s World Environment Day, “Together, we must press government to ‘Seal the Deal’ for a new climate agreement in Copenhagen in December.

The UN Secretary General also highlighted the need for “each of us” to take action. The President’s declaration to make the Maldives Carbon-neutral within the next ten years is a major step towards this direction. And we hope to see concrete actions to make this development target a reality. Full implementation of UNDP projects could make a significant contribution to this end. In addition, the government might wish to consider reviewing its current transportation regulations, especially in Male’, since fossil fuel-based vehicles are major sources of carbon-emission.

Mr President, ladies and gentlemen,

It is also my earnest wish that the information brought to light in this report be used to better manage the natural resources and sustain the natural ecological systems of Maldives, upon which the economy of this nation stands, and upon which many Maldivian households rely on for their livelihood.

I assure you that the UNDP remains committed to support the country to find and implement solutions that reduce poverty and manage the environment for sustainable human development.

Thank you and good afternoon.

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