Speaker and former President, Mohamed Nasheed has said that the Gulhifalhu work cannot be allowed at the expense of the environment.

While work is underway to reclaim 16 million cubic metres in Gulhifalhu, which is being developed as an industrial port, several organizations have voiced concern over its environmental impact. Nasheed’s Maldives Coral Institute is one of the organizations that submitted a letter to the People’s Majlis, addressing the issue.

Nasheed, widely regarded as a climate champion, via Twitter noted that the Gulhifalhu work “is important and brings many benefits” but stressed that “it cannot be allowed to destroy the reefs”.

He added that both the Majlis and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) “are recommending new and stronger measures to protect the coral reefs near the ongoing dredging work”.

A citizen-led campaign that advocates to stop ecosystem destruction, Save Maldives, called on President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih to “stop the Gulhifalhu ecocide” on World Environment Day.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted for the project states it will cause environmental damage, with sand and sediments piling up on the surrounding coral reefs, muddying the waters, and possibly killing the coral reefs.

The parliament’s committee on environment and climate change has also launched an inquiry into the matter.

During a committee meeting held on Saturday, Planning Minister Mohamed Aslam stressed the importance of the project saying that it is the most suitable location to develop a port in the greater Malé region.