The Baa Atoll Conservation Fund (BACF) Board held a meeting on 18 July 2019, attended by 8 participants representing 7 stakeholder organisations, to discuss the implementation of the BACF Grants Programme and a proposed community development initiative across Baa Atoll.

A key decision of the meeting was to support the development of two-bedroom apartments on all 13 inhabited islands of Baa Atoll. The initiative was approved as part of the 2019 grant programme and was intended to provide a tangible community benefit across the atoll.

Building on the decision taken at the Board’s previous meeting, the Board confirmed that MVR 3,000,000.00 (Three Million Maldivian Rufiyaa) would be transferred by BACF to the Baa Atoll Council as the grant allocation, subject to the signing of an agreement between the BACF and the Baa Atoll Council.

The Baa Atoll Council was also required to match the BACF allocation, providing an additional MVR 3 million towards the proposed development.

The Board further agreed that all land plots identified for the development would be registered under the respective Island Councils before construction commenced.

As part of the initiative, the apartments developed on each island were to carry the name “Biosphere Hiya”, reflecting their connection to the Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve and the broader objectives of the programme.

The Baa Atoll Council was assigned responsibility for undertaking the necessary work related to the proposed development, including coordination with the respective Island Councils and implementation of the agreed requirements.

The decisions taken at the meeting represented an effort to translate BACF grant resources into tangible benefits for communities across all 13 islands, while linking the initiative to the identity and objectives of the Baa Atoll Biosphere Reserve.