Sustainable Livelihoods Enhancement and Diversification (SLED)

SLED in Baa Atoll - Maldives
The community
Baa Atoll, located to the northwest of Male’, has a total area of approximately 1,200 km2. The atoll is
comprised of seventy-five islands, thirteen of which are inhabited with a combined population of
approximately 12,000 people with a further six islands have been developed as resorts.
The community’s reliance on corals reefs is significant, not least because they are the very basis of the land
on which they live, but also as a key attraction for tourism, a source of building materials, coastal protection
and fisheries. Although fishing activity has declined since the resorts opened, fishing remains an important
activity for the coastal communities, with both tuna and reef fishing being carried out. The production of
handicrafts and other materials for the tourist industry is also significant and Baa is well-known for its fine
craftsmanship especially in weaving and lacquer.
The environment
Baa Atoll is representative of the biodiversity found in the atolls of the Maldives. Located on the west side of
the Maldivian atoll chain, it is more strongly affected by the southwest monsoon. This drives seasonal
currents and upwelling from the surrounding deep ocean that bring with them high concentrations of deep
water nutrients, which in turn draw significant concentrations of whale sharks and manta rays and also
contributes to a unique diversity of benthic fauna. Species such as the rare pink hydrozoan corals,
bryozoans and sea slugs are endemic to Baa atoll. Baa has a particularly high density of the ring-shaped
reef forms called faros, a peculiar reef structure unique to the Maldives, as well as other unique reef forms.
Due to recent changes in demand and commercial exploitation, some of the marine species of Baa are on
the brink of extinction. Extensive sand mining for home building is a major cause of sand erosion in most of
the islands. Baa Atoll has one of the largest areas of mangroves in the central part of the Maldivian atoll
chain. However, people’s use of mangroves for fire wood, has all but removed mangroves in most of the
inhabited islands, adding to the speed of beach erosion. Recently the government has declared two
protected sites in Baa: Dhigaliha, an area identified as having the richest marine ecosystem in Baa Atoll;
and the island of Olhugiri's, whose unique native vegetation provides one of only two roosting sites in the
Maldives for the frigate bird.
SLED Activities - Discovery and Direction
In preparation for the SLED process the SLED field team undertook a process of training in sustainable
livelihoods approaches and developed a clear understanding of the SLED approach. The SL Framework, in
particular, gave the field-team a very good basis for learning about livelihoods in the Discovery Phase by
enabling them to understand the rationale for the field work, critically analyse the information collected and
provided suggestions for improving their approach. This involved us altering the process for visioning to
make it more accessible to the community. In undertaking the visioning process, with individuals, groups and
the community we were able to engage with a wide range of stakeholders who would not normally participate
in such approaches. For example, a poor widow had time to think through her visions and presented them at
a community meeting. The first time she had spoken at such a level. She drew a great deal of confidence
and strength from this.
The limited resources allowed for the pilot testing meant that we weren’t able to cover the community
extensively. However, as we worked through the Discovery and Direction Phases other community members
and people from neighbouring atolls expressed demands to be included. This was echoed by the
representatives from the Atoll office and local government who felt SLED could play a central role in initiating
the process of community based development. Indeed they noted how they would like to include the
approach in future Atoll Development Programme projects.
Importantly, as we worked through the Discovery and Direction Phases, the community gained a better
understanding of the various integral components affecting their livelihoods which they were not aware of
79