Crossroads Maldives has been named as a candidate for 'Other Effective Area Based Conservation Measures' (OECM) by the Ministry of Climate Change of Thailand.
OECMs are nationally recognised protected areas as per the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, as well as places that promote natural habitat conservation and sustainable environmental management. OECMs are overseen by a variety of different stakeholders such as government agencies, private companies and public bodies.
Crossroads Maldives is operated by Thailand's Group of Sinha Estate PCL and marks the first time a Thai company has achieved such a prestigious milestone.
Sites identified as an OECM candidate under Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Technology regulations must not be a protected area within the framework of the Environment Protection and Preservation Act and regulations thereunder. The area must be sustainably managed with natural resources containing a rich natural environment.
Spanning 1.75 million square metres, Crossroads Maldives has been previously approved by the Maldives authority as an official preserved biodiversity area. Crossroads Maldives said that being designated as an OECM candidate demonstrates the priority and commitment this project has been making to preserve the marine ecosystem in collaboration with the community, associations and government agencies.