In the Republic of the Maldives, coral reefs and associated habitats provide valuable ecosystem services such as fish and other food, natural hazard protection, climate regulation, and the beaches, clear blue waters, and seascapes that are the basis for the thriving tourism industry. The key habitats that contribute to the delivery of valuable ecosystem services in the Maldives include coral reefs, tidal flats, seagrass beds, beaches, mangroves, and offshore pelagic areas and seamounts.
This report lays the groundwork for a description of the factors affecting ecosystem services delivery in the Maldives—both favourably, in the sense of management to restore or enhance ecosystem services delivery, and negatively, in the sense of summarising human pressures and natural factors that contribute to a decline in ecosystem health or a decrease in ecosystem services delivery.
The analysis presented in this report clearly shows that investing in coral reef management would be beneficial to the economy of North Ari Atoll. If coral reefs of North Ari Atoll were allowed to degrade and were not managed properly, this could impact both revenue from tourism and productivity from fisheries, leading to estimated losses of USD 148.54 million to USD 288.54 million (in NPV compared to the BAU estimates), depending upon the discount rates used, over a 30-year time horizon. However, investing in improved coral reef management would provide returns of between USD 15.78 million and USD 48.67 million over a 30-year time-period with the lower investment scenario, and between USD 24.01 million and USD 75.69 with the higher investment scenario.
Related Case Studies
This case study provides information on the social resilience of eight local community islands in North Ari Atoll, Maldives, and identifies differences in gender roles, resource use, and perception of environmental issues. This study is key in understanding the value of ecosystem services in one atoll in the Maldives.
The study has explored how the local community’s involvement in the tourism activities under Community Based Ecotourism (CBET) can be increased through small interventions and partnerships.
In order to gain insight from existing CBET activities in Nepal, a rapid assessment of two existing community based ecotourism destinations, namely the Baghmara...
This case study, The Economic Value: Shouf Biosphere Reserve , is aiming to describe, in preliminary terms, the economic value of the Shouf Biosphere Reserve (SBR), Lebanon, by valuing carbon sequestration, fuel provision (briquettes production), water provision, food provision, tourism, and cultural services and patrimonial values.
This report, Solutions in Focus: Sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, have compiled a number of inspiring best practice examples – blue solutions – that have had positive impacts on ecosystems, fish populations and on the economy of fishers and fishing communities.