Baa Atoll declared as UNESCO Biosphere Reserve

In recognition of the outstanding natural values of Baa Atoll, and commitments made by local communities and resorts, UNESCO  (the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation ) has designated Baa Atoll as a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve. 

UNESCO coordinates a world network of 580 Biosphere Reserves in 114 countries. These are sites recognized under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere Programme, which innovate and demonstrate approaches to conservation and sustainable development. They include famous sites such as Ayer’s Rock in Australia, the Galapagos Islands, the Pantanal wetlands of Brazil, the Niagara escarpment, the Sundarbans of India, the Amboseli National Park of Kenya, Komodo in Indonesia and now, Baa Atoll in the Maldives.

Biosphere Reserves have three key functions: conservation, learning and research, and sustainable development.  They are vehicles for knowledge sharing, research and monitoring, education and training, and participatory decision-making. 

Although Biosphere Reserves are under national sovereign jurisdiction, ideas and experiences are shared regionally and internationally.  They are ‘living laboratories’ for testing and demonstrating sustainable development.  They are about the future, and how local people can conserve the things they value –local knowledge, culture and the environment – whilst ensuring sustainable development.  

In other words, the designation is about encouraging and facilitating people to work together, to live in and manage the whole area for a sustainable future

Why Baa Atoll?

Baa Atoll, harbours globally significant biodiversity in its numerous reefs and demonstrates a long history of human interaction with the environment.

Baa Atoll harbours globally significant biodiversity. In addition to its species rich reefs, Baa Atoll has significant concentrations of whale sharks, manta rays and marine turtles, and also a unique diversity of benthic fauna, including rare pink hydrozoans corals (Distichopora nitida), Bryozoans (Bugula) and sea slugs (Tambja olivaria) that are only recorded from Baa atoll.

In addition, Baa Atoll has a particularly high density of the ring-shaped reef forms called faroes, a peculiar reef structure unique to the Maldives, as well as other unique reef forms. Baa Atoll also has one of the largest areas of mangroves in the central part of the Maldivian atoll chain, and one of only two roosting sites in the Maldives for the frigate bird (more than 10,000 individuals).

Faro's -circular reefs unique to Maldives

Baa Atoll houses one of two roosting sites in Maldives
for frigate birds

Approximately 12,000 people reside in Baa Atoll, distributed across 13 islands, and 6 resorts islands. The remaining 57 islands are uninhabited.  The most important human activities in the area are tourism and fisheries. Whilst resorts have become the main economic driver, tuna and reef fishing remains an important activity. Production of handicrafts and other materials for the tourist industry is also significant.