The local council of B. Dhonfanu says that the government has been unresponsive to appeals as serial protests near a third week over the decision to scrap a project to reclaim land in the island over widespread concerns over the potential damage to Hanifaru Bay, a UNESCO biosphere reserve that lies nearby.
On August 13, Maldives Transport and Contracting Company (MTCC) was awarded a contract to reclaim 13 hectares of land in Dhonfanu, a small island with a population of some 400 people. The agreement was signed during President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu’s visit to the island, and drew criticism from environmental advocates over its implications for Hanifaru Bay, which is among the most important marine habitats in the Maldives.
But in a post on X on September 9, President Muizzu announced he was scrapping the project in light of public concern over its potential environmental implications.
The decision met with protest from the residents of Dhonfanu, who have been holding serial demonstrations since.
Residents of B. Dhonfanu protest against the decision to drop a land reclamation project in the island on September 11, 2025. (Photo/Facebook/Dhonfanu Council)
Ahmed Irushad, the president of Dhonfanu Council, previously told Sun that the decision to drop the project was made without prior consultation with the island’s residents.
Another councilman, Abdulla Ahsan, told Sun on Saturday that the government has made no effort to reach out for talks to resolve the issue.
“We have written letters to the President’s Office as well as the President himself. We said we are fine with an appointment even its for an online meeting in order to engage in talks to resolve this issue. There’s just no one within the [Housing] Ministry supporting this,” he said.
Ahsan said that the Council remain open to talks to peacefully resolve the issue.
He added that the island’s residents continue to hold daily demonstrations urging the government to reconsider its decision.
Ahsan previously said that Dhonfanu faces a severe shortage of land. According to him, there are some 630 people currently residing in the island, many of whom have applied for land to build homes – land the island has run out of.
Residents of B. Dhonfanu protest against the decision to drop a land reclamation project in the island on September 12, 2025. (Photo/Facebook/Ibrerhim Najetzz)
Housing Minister Dr. Abdulla Muthalib has said that while the land reclamation project has been dropped, the government will be running a harbor development and coastal protection project in Dhonfanu.
Hanifaru Bay is recognized as one of the most important marine habitats in the Maldives, serving as a critical feeding and breeding ground for several vulnerable and endangered species, including whale sharks, reef manta rays, napoleon wrasse, as well as protected marine turtles.
The commencement of reclamation works in Dhonfanu had sparked a petition on Change.org, calling for an immediate halt to dredging operations, stressing that Hanifaru Bay is crucial feeding and mating ground for endangered species, and warning that the potential threat from the project is not solely environmental but extends to economic and cultural dimensions.
People swim amid Manta rays at Hanifaru Bay in Baa atoll. (Photo/ZuBlu)
Concerns outlined in the petition included the risk of sedimentation caused by dredging, which could disrupt the marine water cycle and endanger plankton populations, the microscopic organisms that form the foundation of the food chain for reefs and larger marine life, the decline of which could have widespread consequences for the ecosystem.
The petitioners warned that the project poses a threat not only to the survival of individual species but also to the future of the island communities whose existence is deeply tied to the sea.