Maldives Switches from Climate Threat to Mass Tourism – Paradise Isle Changes it Approach to Tackling Climate Change

In a staggering change of approach and government attitude towards what has been a national issue for decades the incoming Maldivian President Abdulla Yameen suggested a drastic shift in the country’s environmental policy to tackle climate change. As an archipelago which has faced rising sea levels and the threat of submersion in the recent past, the adoption of a pro tourism and large scale development projects over eco friendly measures and solar power has been met with surprise and scepticism.

Although family hotels in Maldives and countless hospitality hubs such as Anantara Dhigu Maldives Resort have been the backbone of the country’s economy, the government of past president Mohamed Nasheed aimed to deter the over-development of natural resources to focus on a more environmentally sustainable approach to tourism. The new government however has plans to build more manmade islands while leasing atolls to the Saudi monarch and others to boost development and tourism enterprises.