Bio-diversity

Weavers buy hau from the Fiyori community who harvests it and sell it to the mat weavers for Gadhdhoo and Rathafandhoo mainly. Fiyori is the only island in the Maldives where premium quality hau or reed is grown. Attempts to cultivate them on other islands in the past have not yielded any positive results. It is grown in a specific marshland area on Fiyori island. It is hoped to conserve this ecologically important marshland by the cultivation and sustainable use of the hau by community members. it is hoped that by the establishment of a sustainable hau market, more community members will be engaged in the activity and thus ensure continued management of the marshland. In addition, the traditional knowledge on hau cultivation that that has been orally passed across generations is under threat of disappearing with the decline in the hau cultivation. Therefore, in this project it is aimed to document the traditional knowledge surrounding hau cultivation. Without the availability of hau the mat weaving industry will also perish. The project will be implemented in GDh. Fiyori and farmers, women and youth from the community would be involved in the project. Overall, the project will contribute to protection of traditional knowledge, biodiversity conservation, natural resource management, prevention of land degradation and promoting sustainability of local businesses through environmental protection and promotion.

Maldives