Not all the memories of the abandoned buildings are sweet. Overtime, the building saw people come in to steal its aluminum sheets. It was also subject to vandalism and small acts of arson. Its neighboring single story building’s tin roof slowly gathered rust. Some of the metal posts were removed and repurposed as neru baththi – navigation lights in the sea. The barbed wire around the perimeter and the metal posts were used by islanders for different purposes. The place slowly went to ruin without anyone to look after it and without being protected from the elements.

Today only the metal frame of the radar building is left, rusted and exposed to weathering. Although the walls of the accommodation block still stand, they are covered with dense overgrowth.

Kelaa’s gaa muli area is therefore not only important on biological levels, but also as a place that is deeply intertwined with local customs, traditions and history. As the integrated resort project continues to take shape, so do some concerns regarding the protection of the area.

The Maldives unfortunately has a bad track record of developmental efforts that directly pits economic activities against natural ecosystems and cultural heritage sites. Harbor dredging, large scale land reclamation, channel blasting with dynamite are modifying our coastal landscapes and island topography on scales we have never witnessed before. These coastal modification projects must take place with proper environmental impact assessments, which unfortunately is not the case with all the projects. Often, we are blind to the ecosystem impacts that these projects have, instead focusing on anthropogenic needs.

On the other hand, the Maldives also has some protected marine areas and few terrestrial sites. However, protection does not necessarily ensure conservation and appreciation. When poorly managed and monitored, these areas can suffer more damage than good.

These issues are a result of poor policy management that does not hold sustainability (of our people and culture as well as environment) as a key value. In contrast, if we moved past the idea that sustainability and development are at odds with each other, there are many opportunities to grow while ensuring future environmental, economic and social stability.

One of the ways in which we can do so is by exploring ecotourism on a strategic national level. The Nature Conservancy defines ecotourism as “environmentally responsible travel to natural areas, in order to enjoy and appreciate nature (and accompanying cultural features, both past and present) that promote conservation, have a low visitor impact and provide for beneficially active socio-economic involvement of local peoples.”

What this means on the ground is identifying ways in which our rich biodiversity and cultural heritage can be celebrated and preserved while reaping the benefits of tourism income. To do this, we must support local conservation efforts and incorporate locals in decision making. Often, they are the best identifiers of places that hold environmental and cultural importance.

We believe that the Thundi area in Kelaa is a prime example of such a place. For reasons outlined above, the protection of the area stands to have multiple benefits, not just on the environment but also on local income.

For us as an NGO passionate about these issues, we too believe that our main hope lies in strengthening our roots – at the school level, at community levels, at grassroots levels.

We thank Faththaah, MSI management, students and parents, and Kelaa council for their time, energy, and active participation.