Minister Shauna Delivers Remarks At The ‘Payment for Ecosystem Services’ Roundtable Discussion

Minister of Environment, Climate Change and Technology, Aminath Shauna has participated in ‘The Nature Action: Private Sector Mobilization’ event held at Lancaster House in London, UK. This event marks the beginning of a series of discussions held to progress towards achieving the recently realized targets in Montreal, Canada.

The main aim of the event was to discuss ways to secure funding for the works of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and increase the involvement and cooperation of private sector and civil society organisations in financing such efforts. Minister Shauna delivered her remarks at the ‘Payment for Ecosystem Services’ roundtable discussion held on the margins of the main event.

Delivering her address, Minister Shauna noted that securing funding for the protection and conservation of ecosystems is an important step to receiving the most profit out of activities and services in a sustainable manner. She also noted that the Maldivian economy is heavily reliant on natural reserves and ocean life for the tourism industry. On this, she elaborated that the tax revenue incurred from green taxes levied on tourists is used to drive efforts that mitigate threats to the environment and coral ecosystems of the Maldives.

Speaking further, Minister Shauna shed light on the ongoing works to protect ecosystems and biodiversity in the Maldives and shared some initiatives that are in the pipeline for the coming future as well. She also emphasized that 79 biodiversity-rich locations across the country are now protected under the law out of which 13% of these protected areas constitute coral reefs.
Following the event, Minister Shauna also attended a banquet held at Buckingham Palace by King Charles the third for various dignitaries from different countries that were participating in the event.