Diving on the reef is one way to be educated about issues such as coral bleaching. — Best Dives Maldives
While the Maldives covers an area of 90,000sq km, 90% of this small Indian Ocean nation is seawater, with most of its land area rising just a few metres above the current water level.
Global warming and the resultant rise in sea level are a major concern for many island nations.
According to a report by the World Bank, “... with future sea levels projected to increase in the range of 10cm to 100cm by the year 2100, the entire country could be submerged”. As such, the Maldives is adapting to climate change and other environmental challenges, and its government has been prominent in its international advocacy to mitigate such changes.
Many resorts and hotels in the country have also made concerted efforts to follow more sustainable practices, incorporating them into daily operations. One such resort is SO/ Maldives.
While there doesn’t appear to be a sense of urgency on the tiny speck of sand and palm trees on which the resort is located, its designers and planners aren’t taking any chances. In fact, all those involved in the development of the place are concerned about the rising sea level and other environmental issues.
Before addressing the potential environmental issues confronting the small nation comprising some 1,200 islands and islets scattered around numerous atolls like pearls on a necklace, it’s important to get a grasp on the current situation.
The Maldives is commonly known for its palm-fringed beaches surrounded by water of immense clarity and beauty. The island colours are so intense and saturated with the deepest blue, vivid turquoise, yellows that shimmer like gold bars, and greens that are so vibrant to take them into a different realm of understanding.
The beach villas at SO/ Maldives are all designed to encourage birdlife.
Photo-enhancing software and apps are simply not required, as the beaming equatorial light does the saturation free of charge. A companion I travelled with described the island on which the SO/ Maldives is located as a natural screensaver, similar to the ridiculously saturated images that many of us have on our computers.
This first became apparent as our AirAsia aircraft from Kuala Lumpur made its approach into Velana International Airport, adjacent to the Maldivian capital, Male.
With spare seats next to me on the four-hour flight, I slipped across the row to the window seat to admire the view. As the captain tweaked his approach, I was able to admire the contrasting sky blue of the deep water surrounding the turquoise waters of the shallow atolls.
Maritime silk road
Once we had landed, and cleared immigration and customs with ease, I realised just how flat the islands are; Maldives is also one of the world’s lowest countries.
Velana International Airport is located on Hulhule Island, just over the water from Male and connected by the Sinamale Bridge. Some 212,000 people, or 29% of all Maldivians, live in Male, but very few tourists visit the capital as most resorts are a flight or boat journey away.
Access to most of the surrounding islands is done via boats or a fleet of small aircraft that service 18 domestic airports.
Get close to marine life on a snorkelling excursion to Shark Point. — SO/ Maldives
Having been to the Maldives before (where I stayed at several remote resorts), I was aware that waiting – as well as the travelling times – for domestic flights can be quite long, so it was a wise decision to stay at SO/ Maldives. This resort is located just a short boat ride from the airport.
(While Maldives is one of the world’s smallest nations, the archipelago is surprisingly large, extending 870km north to south.)
On the 20-minute motor launch journey to the resort, we passed Male, which must be one of the most densely populated cities in the world, with its tallest building being the 25-storey-high Dharumavantha Hospital.
You soon realise that if the environmentalists have got it right, the whole of Male is vulnerable to rising sea levels, as are the resorts.
Only 200 islands are inhabited, with most set aside for private and luxurious accommodations – often just one resort on each island. These properties are some of the world’s finest in offering over-the-water chalets, villas, private pools, spas, signature restaurants and watersports.
SO/ Maldives, my “home” for the next few days, was barely metres above sea level, and the tallest objects on the island were the swaying coconut palms that cast a modicum of shade over my villa.
The resort and the island are simply stunning, though, and if a committee were asked to design an idyllic island getaway, the end result would be this place.
The Maldives is known for its beautiful islands and clear waters but the country also has major environmental challenges to tackle.
Going green
Concerned that my villa may sail off on the next high tide, I decided to check in with the management to reassure me that this would not happen. I also wanted to find out what strategies they had put in place for such eventualities.
Being one of the most recently built resorts in the Maldives, I assumed that it would have state-of-the art technology.
Meeting up with resort manager Oreste Traetto and the head of rooms, Aifulla Jameel, I learned that it was part of the Accor hotel group, a company that has stringent environmental policies regardless of the location of the property.
Like many other resorts, SO/ Maldives has implemented ecological initiatives to protect its fragile marine ecosystem. This means appropriate management of waste, protection of waters and reefs, and adopting sustainable practices to lower their carbon footprint.
An impressive 45% of the resort’s energy is generated by on-villa solar panels, and this figure is expected to increase over time. Greywater recycling and rainwater capture are used to irrigate the extensive landscaped gardens.
Resort chefs buy locally where possible, but this is a big challenge for an island nation that produces very little. In fact, most resorts in the Maldives import their products from all over the world.
The hotel is putting in place strategies to get a full “Green Globe” certification and follow a set of guiding principles to better manage the resort. (Green Globe is an affiliate member of the UN Tourism which carries the original standard upon which all tourism eco-labels are based.)
After a few days at the resort, I began to appreciate that championing the global warming challenge wasn’t the entire responsibility of the people of the Maldives or the resorts –visitors too have a role to play.
Being a responsible traveller isn’t a new concept, and it is a way of life that an increasing number of global travellers are adopting. Everyone is familiar with the 3Rs (recycle, reuse and reduce), but I thought of two additional suggestions – repurpose and rethink.
Choosing appropriate activities, such as dolphin-sighting tours, is being responsible, so a plan was hatched to join an afternoon sunset cruise. Joined by some 20 other excited guests, we boarded a replica of a traditional local fishing boat called a dhoni. It features a distinctive peaked prow.
We were informed that, in the past, these vessels were made from a single coconut tree. Initially, these boats were propelled by a triangular sail, but now most are motorised.
I positioned myself near the bow to photograph Spinner Dolphins as I was told that they are unlike most other dolphins that breach the surface. My patience was eventually rewarded as we were joined by a playful pod that remained with the boat for some 30 minutes.
In addition to joining the dolphin tour, guests can also snorkel or dive on various reefs, including Shark Point, and learn about the importance of coral reefs and the fish that survive in such ecosystems.
I also learned that 75% of the world’s reef fish flourish in the waters of the Maldives. With more than 1,100 fish species in the Indian Ocean, marine life in the Maldives is prolific. Divers can admire colourful coral and fish, and possibly sharks, eels and turtles feeding around the reefs there.
The Indian Ocean is also home to half the world’s species of coral, and their protection is vital for fishing and tourism. Coral bleaching (higher water temperatures and increased ultraviolet light), resulting from the El Nino Effect, is a global problem and one that the Coral Global Reef Alliance has noticed is evident in the Maldives.
The country’s rich underwater life makes up for its limited biodiversity. Bird sightings weren’t as prolific as I had hoped, although I enjoyed watching grey herons fishing daily in the shallows of the resort lagoon.
Human activity threatens the survival of Spinner Dolphins in the Maldives.
It’s a lot of rubbish
Disposing of rubbish is a major global problem, especially for islands as they have limited avenues for disposal. Eliminating waste in the first place is the best way to reduce its impacts, and it’s pleasing to note that many resorts like SO/ Maldives have adopted a policy of zero single-use plastics.
In the past, resorts shipped their waste to Thilafushi, near Male, to add to the growing landfill known to the locals as “Trash Island”. For years, the trash smouldered away, sending harmful gases into the air, and was hardly the solution to a growing problem.
Some 1,200 tonnes are generated daily in and around Male, but recycling and sorting garbage at source are growing in popularity, while a waste-to-energy facility is being considered.
SO/ Maldives staff sort the waste generated and recycle where possible. They also clean the beach of flotsam that washes up on each tide. Though not much can be done about the existence of microplastics in the ocean, we can prevent them from getting out of hand.
As a traveller, try to choose activities that have a lower impact on the environment like non-motorised water sports.
While wet food wastes are treated and used to fertilise gardens, lowering waste amount at source is key to reducing it, and the resort analytically monitors its waste to see what items are being ... wasted. With this knowledge, chefs, for example, can adjust daily or weekly menus to reduce wastage.
A holiday in the Maldives is, for most, aspirational and perhaps a journey some will make once in their lifetime. While an idyllic tropical holiday destination, there could be trouble in paradise from global warming and a rising sea level.
Tourism is important for this island nation, and efforts by some resorts are helping ensure that tourism remains sustainable in an ever-changing world.
Travel notes
How to get there: All three local airlines – Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia and Batik Air – have direct flights to Male.
Currency: The Maldivian rufiyaa is the official currency
