#DhivehiMeehaa

Kulhi Kakuni, or Mangrove Crabs play a significant role in sustaining a healthy mangrove ecosystem.  Crabs are considered   ecosystem engineers that have important impacts on energy flow and in the structure and chemistry of sediment   (Kristensen, 2008). Adduans have called these crabs "Gobili Kakidi and some even call it "Rehaakuru Kakidi". 

The  Eidhigali Kilhi and Koattey Area located in Addu City Hithadhoo, is  literally  the Addu Nature Park. This environmentally significant location has been declared protected on 7th December 2004 and later on 13th September 2018 by the Environment Act of the Maldives.  The lake at the far end of Hithadhoo is the biggest in the country and attracts varied birdlife to its shores. It has been incorporated into the Eedhigali Kilhi and Kottey Protected Area, which at 570 hectares is the largest of its kind in Maldives.  On average, the value of ecosystem services of mangrove forests amounts to about 21,100 USD/ha.a (2018 prices). Mangrove forests also provide important regulating ecosystem services (such as carbon sequestration or erosion and flood control), amounting to about 36,100 USD/ha.a.  

Maldives Last time I wrote here was in  January 2015  when we lost Ibthihal. Today, two years later, the case remains open.  In August 2014, Rilwan was abducted and taken away. Today, over 1000 days later, we remain helpless.  In October 2012, Dr. Afrashim was brutally murdered at the stairs of his home. Today, almost five years later, only but a scapegoat has been put on death row.  Cover up or an inside job? Incompetence, i gnorance or neglect?  How long would  hate mongers and murderers roam free in this county? Will justice ever be served? -- Countless times he reported to the Police of  death threats he received. Either they took it lightly or they deliberately ignored it.  As I write this post authorities are yet to provide answers; “What action was taken to prevent the murder of Yaamyn from taking place on 23 rd April 2017?” “Who made those threats against Yaamyn?” “If there was no proper investigation into t...

Dear Ibthihaal I never had the opportunity to visit Rakeedhoo. I didn’t get to meet you. I didn’t get to know you. I didn’t know what you had to go through everyday in your life. I am sorry I was not there for you. I truly am sorry. Ibthihaal, today I know about you. I know a little bit about you. Your country is talking about you. They talk of what happened to you. They talk of ways to blame each other on how you had to leave us. They seem to know everything about you. You have left us, but you have left us all with a message, a message to always remember and reflect. You have reminded us of our failed systems and the amount of our ignorance, and you have also reminded us our responsibility, the individual responsibility and duty being human. You have reminded us of all those children being wronged and abused in the communities we live in. I hear you now. Sorry I wasn’t able to hear you before. I promise I will not stay quite and watch anyone be...

"Nights are toughest, when the rest of the world is slumbering and resting. That's when cancer mounts its strongest attack on my mind. It tries to creep in with its doubts. That its already winning, that my treatment is not working. That's when it exerts maximum pain. That when it keeps telling me that there is no hope, that I might as well give up now. I will not, Insha Allaah. My treatment is not by doctors, it is by my Lord, Creator and Cherishor of the Worlds. My Lord cannot be defeated, nor I, as long as I hold fast to Him. Cancer does not know this." ~ Dr. Fathin Hameed wrote on her last blog post. You are with Allah now, your faith will always be your strength in the hereafter. My respect to you!

Among the many tourist shops in Male’, Shark products like these are very common. The shop keepers say they are brought in from Lanka and not Maldivian. What is evident is that the pieces are fresh as if it was just killed and cleaned. The Shark is a protected species in the Maldives, its fisheries is banned! Fisheries has a ban; yes! But import of Shark products like these shark teeth are not! Killing sharks in our waters are wrong but its “OK” to sell products made from sharks killed elsewhere? Becoming conscious and say no to Shark Products. “It takes decades and decades for the shark population to recover, but it doesn’t take long to wipe out.” ~ Guy Stevens, Marine Biologist This photo was taken for ECOCARE Maldives at Male’, Maldives Photography and caption by ©Maeed (all rights reserved)

I was walking around with my camera in Rasmaadho when I came across this boy and asked if I could take a picture of him, I told him to give me a good pose. He replies back to me “I can give you my ‘I am smart’ look”. Growing up in an Island community in Maldives or coming from “ Raaje Therey ” (from the islands), does not make a kid less smarter nor stupid. Sometime we often make the mistake to restrict ourselves to that single story, where kids growing up in the Islands are poor, uneducated and stupid. Well its confident kids just like this smart boy that reminds me the that we are all but Maldivians and its these smart Maldivian kids who will grow up to become tomorrows smart leaders, no matter which part they come from. Photo taken at Rasmaadhoo, Raa. Atoll, Maldives Photography and caption by ©Maeed (all rights reserved)

Walking on a Maldivian beach, this is the last thing one might expect to see. A "Sand drive"? Strange may it seem but solid waste management needs a serious thought in many island communities in the country. For decades Maldivians disposed waste on the beaches (the extent that the word Godu'dhoh - beach comes from Godhu - dump yard), it was a common practice back then, well in their case waste were limited to domestic waste. Our ancestors must be amused to learn about the electronic waste that seem to be somehow popping out from the Maldivian beaches today. Though awareness may have reached its heights, waste management can only be practical with necessary institutions in place, with more focus on a regional scale. Photo taken at Raa. Rasmaadhoo, Maldives Photography and caption by ©Maeed (all rights reserved)

I came across this little Ms Lady in Red while in Raa Atoll, Maldives. Shy and innocent she stares at my camera, never hid herself completely, observed everything I was doing, clearly not scared but wanted to make sure what the stranger was doing around her neighborhood. Girls in Maldives grow in an independent environment today, mostly empowered and taught to be self relied as they grow up to be leading women in society. Most have the opportunity for higher education irrelevant to the their social upbringing. Today there is still hope in the country for little girls like Ms. Lady in Red. I hope it remains the same, and girls/women be empowered through out the Maldives, always. Photo taken at Raa Atoll, Maldives Photography by ©Maeed (all rights reserved)

These insects have an amazing story, you don't really find them throughout the year in the Maldives, but you will see them seasonally. The Dragonflies are said to be the longest Migrating insects, every year millions of dragonflies fly across the open ocean from Southern India to Africa. One of their stops of course the Maldives. Photo taken at Laamu Atoll - Maldives Photo by ©Maeed (2013) Same photo on Flickr YourShot National Geographic

Here are some shots from Laamu Fonadhoo I took earlier this year. I was there to conduct a workshop for ECOCARE Maldives. All photos by Maeed M. Zahir (All rights reserved) :D

I was going through my old hard drive and found some of these shots. Took them using my dads old Kodak DCS Pro SLR/n . This was somewhere in 2009 I guess. Male', Maldives. All photos by Maeed. Cheers :D