Dhiraagu has partnered with Soneva Conservation and Sustainability Maldives (Soneva CSM) to support the Dhirun Community Coral Regeneration Programme in Dharavandhoo in Baa Atoll.
The programme will be carried out with the local organisation Muraka Farm and the island community. Dhiraagu said the approach combines Soneva CSM's technical and scientific expertise with local participation and capacity building.
What the programme includes
The programme will train 10 to 15 community members in hands-on coral restoration and monitoring. It will also set up a community coral nursery of about 30 to 50 nursery structures, and support ongoing coral propagation and outplanting.
Young people will be involved through training and public awareness activities. Training sessions and community events will lead up to coral restoration work and a community festival in Dharavandhoo later this year.
Why Dharavandhoo
Dharavandhoo lies within the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in Baa Atoll, close to Hanifaru Bay. Its reefs are important to the island's tourism, fisheries and local livelihoods, Dhiraagu said.
What the partners said
Bishaara Hameed, Dhiraagu's Senior Manager for Corporate Social Responsibility, said the community-led approach builds local knowledge and skills for long-term coral restoration. She said environmental protection and ocean conservation are key focus areas of the company's CSR programme.
Johanna Leonhardt, Director of Operations at Soneva CSM, said restoration delivered to a community and then left behind cannot have lasting impact, so knowledge, skills and ownership need to stay with residents. She said she hopes the programme will become a model for community-led reef regeneration elsewhere in the Maldives.
Soneva CSM is a Maldivian-registered organisation working on coral reef regeneration, marine research, conservation and community stewardship.
Sources: Sun – Dhiraagu partners with Soneva CSM to support coral reef restoration program in Dharavandhoo; One Online – Dhiraagu partners with Soneva CSM on Dharavandhoo coral restoration