The government is to nominate southernmost Addu and Fuvahmulah atolls as UNESCO biosphere reserves.

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih reached the decision after consultation from his cabinet of ministers with whom a meeting was held on Tuesday.

Submission of the decision to UNESCO for endorsement will be followed afterwards, revealed the President’s Office.

Further, this submission will ensure sustainable protection and preservation of natural beauty and marine life in the two regions.

It will also ensure planning to acquire its benefits are done in a sustainable manner.

Biosphere reserves are internationally recognized and will remain under sovereign jurisdiction of the nations they are located in and are deemed as regions with terrestrial and coastal ecosystems that promote solutions to reconcile the conservation of biodiversity with its sustainable use.