United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) has designated Atoll as a Biosphere Reserve for 10 more years.
Baa Atoll is an administrative division of the Maldives consisting of three separate natural atolls and is known for its natural beauty and thriving marine ecosystems. UNESCO declared Baa Atoll as a Biosphere Reserve in 2011, stating that the area meets the requirements to be declared as a Biosphere Reserve. Since then, 10 areas in Baa Atoll have been designated as environmentally protected areas while four of the areas are being protected in a planned and sustainable manner.
UNESCO re-designated Baa Atoll as a Biosphere Reserve after it received the relevant reports and updated information in September 2021. As such, reports were submitted of the ecological surveys conducted on the coral reefs, islands, and sandbanks. The organisation officially re-designated Baa Atoll as a Biosphere Reserve for 10 more years after approving the results of the work being done to preserve the region.
Biosphere Reserves are nominated by national governments and remain under the sovereign jurisdiction of the states where they are located and their status is internationally recognised.
