In a milestone moment for sustainable tourism and marine conservation, the Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy has formally awarded the Maldives’ first official Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measure (OECM) recognition to luxury resort Soneva Jani.
The official handover took place during an awarding ceremony on August 10, formally designating the Noonu Atoll property as the nation’s very first private sector-managed OECM.
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The Ministry highlighted that this recognition underscores Soneva Jani’s long-standing dedication to ocean stewardship, habitat protection, and responsible tourism.
Unlike traditional Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) that rely purely on government-led restrictions, an OECM is a globally recognized conservation designation. It honors sites managed outside formal protected areas—such as eco-resorts, local communities, or private land—that deliver sustained, long-term, positive outcomes for native ecosystems.
The designation covers 0.41 square kilometers on the eastern side of Medhufaru Island, safeguarding vital coral reefs, beaches, mangroves, and wetland habitats. The area serves as a key nesting ground for critically endangered Hawksbill and Green sea turtles, while supporting species of native birds and marine life.
The ministry emphasized that private-sector OECMs are crucial to achieving the global 30x30 target—a commitment under the UN Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework to protect at least 30 percent of the planet's lands and oceans by 2030.
The milestone follows more than a year of comprehensive ecological mapping and environmental surveys conducted by Soneva Conservation & Sustainability Maldives, supported by the Waitt Foundation.
By demonstrating that luxury tourism can directly support climate resilience—through carbon storage, shoreline protection, and biodiversity preservation—Soneva Jani sets a new benchmark for resorts across the Maldives and the broader tropical world.
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