MNDF establishes environment database of L. Atoll with US Army

Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) has established an Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) atlas used in the protection of the environment of Laamu Atoll in collaboration with the US Army.

The survey began in December 2014 and lasted a total of 15 months during the course of it.

A statement from the US military said that the US Pacific Command (USPACOM), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) collaborated with the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF) and the Maldives Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to prepare an Environmental Sensitivity Index atlas for Laamu Atoll in the Republic of Maldives with at-risk resources including biological resources, such as birds and fish; sensitive shorelines, such as marshes and tidal flats; and human-use resources, such as subsistence gathering or fish processing.

“The project was completed in three phases, which included a scoping trip, field work, and the development and delivery of the final ESI Geographic Information System (GIS) database and atlas. The result is an interactive electronic atlas, hardcopy maps, and a robust GIS database.” The statement said.

US military said that the Laamu Atoll ESI atlas includes detailed biological resource, shoreline, and human-use mapping for more than 44 islands in the atoll.

USPACOM Environmental Program Manager Christopher Sholes said that the Laamu Atoll ESI project serves as a great example of civil-military cooperation between the US and Maldives