GREEN ADDU

I felt wonderful for been able to contribute and participate in the event held at Hithadhoo on the occasion of the United Nation’s World Environment Day.
For more than 3 decades the United Nation has been leading the world in celebrating June 5th as the day to ignite, inspire, promote, advocate, lobby and execute positive environmental action. And we too as a nation has been following it for sometime now.

Here in Addu We joined the UN and rest of the world in the universal occurrences to celebrate this year’s environment day with a beautification and tree planting program.

So did our president. He lived up to the appellation he acquired at COp15 as “Our global President” by planting a tree National Arboretum in Canberra, the capital of Australia. No matter where on God’s Green Earth he is, I do not doubt, that he would find the means and opportunity to rise up to the occasion and lead us and the world in greening the globe.

Even though our president (the international climate change campaigner and a winner of this year’s Champion of the Earth award) has explicitly stated that his true interest in environmental issues is a pure economic interest, he is the most charismatic environmental leader out there.

Before I got carried away mesmerized by THE ANNI factor in international environmental issues I would rather like to zero in on events and that took place in Hithadhoo. To begin with the tree plantation was not just another humdrum program with a high probability of failure. On the contrary it is the initiation of an ambitious project that is designed to make Addu the garden atoll of Maldives. This project is called Green Addu Project.

Green Addu project at initial stages maybe primarily focused on greening the President’s promised hosting city of the 17th SAARC summit. In the imminent days I’m expecting (and even working for) the program to be mainly fuelled by the NGOs in close association with the government offices, schools, businesses, and police. As planned if Green Addu project is bound to bring about Green Revolution in Addu then planting trees needs to become a habit in the grassroots.

From proletarians to politicians to from youth to local businesses, and from NGO’s to football teams, all need to play a proactive role to ensure that every vacant piece of land in Addu gets filled up with trees. Also in the new land use plan there will be green zones and carbon buffer zones allocated for trees to be planted. Business companies based in Addu can select to conjointly or solely, look after a zone of their choice and their own gardens in these zones. It does not only ensure sustainability but also would stimulate competition among different zones to be greener. I know that Dhiraagu is even now keen on to do this. Maybe Dhiraagu will call their zone GREEN TOUCH!!

I believe it’s of utmost importance to recall all who have contributed to the initiation of project Green Addu. As an ordinary resident of this atoll as a Maldivian I would like to extend my most heartfelt gratitude and appreciation for the tremendous effort very many people have put into it.

First the very brave women of AWDI. Your daring and courageous attitude to go for that extra mile (to GAN on motorbikes in search of trees) is truly inspirational and a winner.

Some might call me I’m promoting Soibbe, the incumbent atoll councilor for his next term in office by thanking him and mentioning his name over here. But honestly I don’t care and I more than anyone else out there understand where my true intention lies. Having that said, I would like to thank Soibbe for been accessible any time anywhere and for never been out of reach during the whole process and I hope this virtue continues.

A very special thank to B-Tek Hussan. He dispatched his whole work force and their job for the day was planting as many trees they could.Call them “bangaalhees” call them “bondhus”, but sure they were nothing short of competent. Hussan was standing next to me in the inauguration ceremony. He told me that for events like this, he will endow with everything he has got to the fullest he possibly can. That is the desired spirit from every entrepreneur.

Thanks to Develop Addu and the team from CDE. You guys played a pivotal role from the planning to practically participating the action on the ground. Particularly I’m grateful for the environmental awareness sessions conducted for Muhibbuddin School students and Feydhoo school Students and I do not doubt that it’s an investment of the future.

Very many thanks goes to the volunteers from TakeCare. You guys truly care.;)
Collectively I thank every signal individual who has contributed to the program, even slightly, and participated in the event.

After the tree planting program I updated the FB with the following status.

“Dear Mr.President. I got to telll you. I missed you today.!! while you were planting trees in National Arboretum Canberra we too were planting hithi gis and reeth gis on this province office Magu. Wish it would be green and shady next time you come here.(in matters concerning the SAARC summit)”

Among others, my very dear and highly intelligent friend replied with the following
.
Ahsan Naseer :lol. you could have written this on his page. that might give a better chance of him seeing this :P (if you wanted him to see this)
trees were planted even before, many times. i wonder how many of them stayed as trees. Is it going to be any different this time? i mean will there be anyone looking after them, or check on them to do the least.

I would like to respond to your comment here as well.
Dude, first of all very many thanks for your comment. You know me better, and you know that I would have had no intention of showing this to the president. Then again here we are talking about facebook, you never know who glances at your profile ;).

Anyway that’s not the point. The point is,Yes. Countless times trees have been planted before. Even we have done it several times back when we were in school. And as for how many how many remained as trees? I don’t know. I would be exaggerating if I say none. As for me the whole point of starting over and redoing what has been done over and over again is to do it differently. I know, your concerns lie in making the greening sustainable. So are mine.

But as you know the challenges and hurdles ahead of us to do so are huge. We don’t get enough volunteers. We can’t find interested youth. Moreover the current cschooling system here almost forbids their students been involved in extracurricular activities except cadetship. Public anticipates a lot from NGOs but often refuses to work with them.

But what I know is we cannot wait to empower the society first, and then direct their energy to community development and volunteerism. Through activities and participation empowerment will arise.

Green Addu is an appropriate platform for that and this time I think change will happen.

Chances of Green Addu blooming are good.:)

My Thoughts on Hithadhoo Land Use Plan.

I have been to the Hithadhoo LUP public consultation session that was conducted few days back at province office by Dr Simadh and his team. From there I learned that the outcome of a well prepared LAND Use Plan portrays the infrastructural as well as the socioeconomic developments aspired by every small community like ours.

Of course! I do not doubt that technical competency and expertise of Dr Simadh's team in land use planning. From the delivered presentations by Simadh and his team it was obvious that a strenuous amount work has already been done in collection, analysis and processing of relevant data and information about Hithadhoo. Even if these prerequisites of the LUP are complete the fact is all of that is a small part of a much bigger thing. In the end, it’s the people who actually plan and the experts simply guide and do the paper work!

Having that said, from what I know it is safe to say that land use planning should be an iterative process consisting of dialogue between all the stakeholders involved.
In fact the dialogue with the land users and those who are consequently affected due to land usage is the fundamental component of the land use plan upon which everything else depend. This is why the modern day land use planning is called a bottom up process.

Thus, in the compilation of Hithadhoo LUP every effort must be made to ensure that the community, from the grass roots to every other segment of the populace is allowed and encouraged to actively participate in the planning.

An idea I have is that various targets groups should be enticed to submit each and every single idea that occur to them under a particular theme, regardless of how ridiculous or impossible it might sound. Then only the experts will put forward their technical perspective. After considering the experts opinion the participant’s consensus becomes the decision that finally appears on the land use plan.
I think this would not only evoke a sense of belonging and attachment to the LUP within the society, but also would result in the capacity building of the participants to plan in dialogue-oriented learning and negotiation process.

I’m not oblivious of the strategic approach that would be adopted by DR Simad and his team in the differentiation of stake holders and allocating various target groups. Despite that I would like to specify a very important target group whose contribution, I believe, would be of utmost importance in building a futuristic document with a validity of 25 years or so.

Yes! I’m referring to target groups comprising of students. Students with their virgin cerebrums can present visionary ideas with boundless creativity. Their vivid imagination often begins where an adult’s imagination subdues and we all know, though intangible, how much of an asset would imagination be for a task like land use planning.

Besides this, another cause for my accentuation for student involvement is, should the land use plan be implemented, it is they who are going to dwell and enjoy the planned usage of land in all its glory. So how they envisage tomorrow’s Addu matters a lot today.

As we all know a well designed land use plan does not simply result in widened roads and zoned infrastructure. While such a plan ensures that land use is sustainable, it also should provide us with a socially desirable, environmental friendly and economically sound living in which our culture and heritage is uncompromised. While these could be the ultimate objective of Hithadhoo LUP they are inexplicit. In fact it sounds like a tailor made statement of a politician. The answers to questions of what will be where and how in the LUP is where our curiosity lies!!!

On this regard I would like to articulate my thoughts on five aspects of the Hithadhoo LUP.

1. Housing: Housing in Addu and Hithadhoo can be like anything but it should be nothing like in Mal’e. The way I see it, Mal’e is developed under a conspiracy theory rather than a Land Use Plan. From the ideas I got during the Public Consultation Session, and form hours of research I believe we should go for residential zones with the proverbial “FLAT/condo” style of accommodation. I strongly reject high-rise apartment buildings of 25 plus stories that would corrode the scenic beauty and the admirable greenery. I think 6-7 stories building would be the optimum height of these residential FLATS/condos. Provided with appropriate rules and regulations are in place, I believe that this is not only the most successful modern form of accommodation, but also the most suitable form to our island. Moreover the residents living in these condos would have the delight of convenient and economical access to schools, supermarkets, clinics, food centers and recreational facilities.

2. Transportation: The LUP when implemented should result in widened streets in Hithadhoo. The roads should be safe for both the pedestrians, vehicles and the driver. It shouldn’t challenge the principles of physics as our link road. While the highest priority should be given to the safety of the roads, access to roads must be convenient and should result in economic transportation. If there is a necessity, required structural modifications should be brought about to the link road as well.

3. Agricultural Lands: In our quest to urbanization we should not undermine the significance of agriculture or farming. In the making of Hithadhoo LUP I believe a priority should be to protect the agricultural lands we currently have in kashinara, Maamendhoo and Koattei. Further lands should be allocated to accommodate projected growth for future agricultural needs. (special thanks to Ibbe on sharing his valued opinion of agriculture in Hithadhoo)

4. Open Spaces, Scenic, Historic and Protected Areas: During the session I mentioned at the beginning, Dr Simadh proposed a very credible explanation for the disintegrating social cohesion within the Hithadhoo Community. He said that the lack of open spaces where people could gather and interact under a routine manner is the main reason for the absence of social unity contrary to many other islands of Maldives. I believe the Land Use Plan should consist of hospitable open spaces that could easily be accessed by the people. They should be green and suitable for people of all ages. Zones must be assigned to include Scenic and Historic Areas as well as Protected Areas in the Land Use Plan. They would not only serve as a sanctuary for the local people who wants to relax and temporarily escape from the tension of life but also as probable income generating resource for the local pepole that would allure visitors from all over the world. At the moment this might sound like a utopian dream but the fact is its all possible, because god has already embedded these seductive natural beauties in the geography of Hithadhoo. I’m talking about the Aari Kilhi, the Eedhigali Kilhi, even Koattei and other such places (with names I know not of) we already have in here. Rather than exploiting it we need to exhibit it.

5. Recreational Requirements: I believe one of the underlying reasons for skyrocketing of juvenile crimes and vandalism is the deficiency of recreational facilities for youth in Hithadhoo. Recreational facilities would not only aid in the development interpersonal and intrapersonal skill of our youth, but also would help them to discover their innate aptitudes and physical development. Recreational facilities should not only be limited only to those Youth Centre’s that are been established by Youth Ministry. It should rather be extended to amusement parks, sports facilities like football grounds and basket ball courts, fishing piers, and platforms, swimming and wading pools, public libraries, and gymnasiums. I suggest that in the Hithadhoo LUP land must be allocated for these facilities where they could be easily accessible. If I am to address recreational needs on a broader scale I think a golf course at GAN and a Go-Cart-Track somewhere in Feydhoo would be a delight for many people.

The public consultation held at province office has resulted in lively confabulations amongst the people. Soon it has become a hot topic that everyone had an opinion on. The Facebook group specifically launched for the discussions on the LUP, called “Addu Land Use plan” clearly depicts how varied our thoughts could be. On this particular group people with adequate know-how on the subject, has posted recommendation, ideas and probable challenges that might be encountered during the LUP and its implementation.

If we set out to really change our future and to seek a city life like that of Singapore, here in Addu, the rudimentary component we need to have is a visionary Land Use Plan. After having it, in implementing such a plan the biggest challenge I foresee is neither monetary nor geographical constraints. It is not even government’s policy. It is our willingness. It is our ability to seek change and the courage to adapt to change. It is the bravery needed to forfeit a few meters of the land plot we have inherited for generations to widen the adjacent road. It is the bold and collective decision of our family to move from the acres of land we call home to a condominium. It is been united for a common cause and in the end it is the selfless sacrifices and compromises that would decide how we reap benefits of the land use plan for generations to come.

My thoughts on Maldives at COP15

Despite our nation’s miniature population of only about 300 thousand living on tiny coral islands that are enveloped in the mightiness of the Indian Ocean, we now have gained a global reputation: It is not due to the exemplary democratic transformations that took place a year ago. Neither is it due the natural exquisiteness of our island. But it is entitled to the vulnerability of Maldives to climate change and our nation’s proactive effort to combat it.

Especially over the last year, under the rule of our enthusiastic president Mr Nasheedh more than once we have garnered the attention of international climatic institutions and environmental activist from all corners of the world. While our president established himself as a trailblazer in climatic talks our nations has also become an inspiration to countries as varied as Barbados and Tanzania to Kiribati and Rwanda that are equally susceptible to climate change.

In this context one might wonder how a country that barely appears on Google Earth is making a constant and everlasting impact on Google News. The answer is obvious. It is sometimes ridiculed but often times the pioneering initiatives of our president that has resulted in global media uttering our nation’s name. From the audacious announcement of making the country carbon neutral by 2020 to the highly acclaimed and equally castigated underwater cabinet Meeting held in May our nations’ determination to set an example for other countries to mitigate and adapt to climate change has been depicted vividly.

In a two day conference on climate change on November 9 Mr Nasheedh has said that a group of vulnerable, developing countries committed to carbon neutral development would send a loud message to the outside world." He further asked an important question “If those with the least (pollution) start doing the most, what excuse can the rich have for continuing inaction?" A question that would only be answered at the COP15 summit.

President Nasheedhs annocunment, few months ago, that he would not be able to take part in COP15 climate summit due to domestic budgetary constraint too made international headlines. But as we know now with financial assistance from UN and European Union our president too will contribute in the making of a successor document to the soon expiring 1997 Kyoto Protocol. "Copenhagen can be one of two things. It can be an historic event where the world unites against carbon pollution in a collective spirit of co-operation and collaboration, or Copenhagen can be a suicide pact.” President Nasheedh has said.

The 190 country climate change conference at Copenhagen by many is believed to the most important climatic conference of the century that would potentially save or destroy the earth. If the countries participating in the summit could not reach a decisive consensus with comprises then the efforts expended by a lot of countries like Maldives and people like the co-founder of 350.org, Bill McKibben would all be futile.

The road to Copenhagen so far has been bumpy. There has been ups and down. Both at a local level here in Maldives and at a global level. The most recent been the leaked emails of Climate Research Chief Phil Jones of University of Anglia’s Climate Research Unit. Phil Jones Data that were manipulated and exaggerated on climate change and global warming has been the basis of climate change policies made my many governments and is one of the most significant aspects of the COP15 summit.

This leaves us with the question can our presidents innovative high morale approach to COP15 would be inspiring enough to produce a favorable result that would save our nation? Or is our nation is at any risk all along?


This article was written on December 3,2009.