Maldivian experts and international participants have concluded a workshop aimed at completing the final stages of developing the Maldives' national ecosystem map.
The Global Ecosystems Atlas Maldives Accelerator Final Workshop forms part of an initiative conducted jointly by the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy and the Environmental Regulatory Authority (ERA). The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) and the Global Ecology Lab at James Cook University's College of Science and Engineering jointly organised the workshop.
Held from 22 to 24 September at James Cook University in Townsville, Australia, the three-day workshop brought together Maldivian experts and international participants to finalise work on the national ecosystem map. Participants reviewed the latest version of the map using information and expertise relating to the Maldives' terrestrial ecosystems.
As part of the review, participants included new information to further improve the accuracy of the map and helped shape it to reflect the Dhivehi language and the Maldives' cultural heritage. The Ministry said the workshop concluded after arrangements were made to document the collected data, share it with relevant stakeholders and make it available to the public.
The Ministry said the national ecosystem map will provide a scientific and reliable representation of the Maldives' natural environment and ecosystems. It added that the map will provide significant support for developing environmental protection plans, strengthening resilience to climate change and making evidence-based decisions at the national level.