What is Terrestrial Biodiversity Loss?

Terrestrial biodiversity loss refers to the decline and disappearance of life on land, encompassing all plant and animal species, micro-organisms, and land habitats including coastal and inland vegetation, wetlands, and mangroves.

It can arise from sudden disturbances caused by human activities or from slow-onset changes to the climate. In both cases, the result is the same - ecosystems that have taken centuries to establish are diminished, and often cannot recover on their own.

Life on Our Islands

Compared to our ocean, the land biodiversity of the Maldives is limited, but it is no less important for being so. About 583 species of plants have been recorded across the islands, of which around 260 are native or naturalized. Two species of fruit bats are endemic to the Maldives, found nowhere else on Earth. Over 167 bird species have been recorded including five endemic to our islands and 103 species are legally protected. These birds, bats, plants, and the insects and reptiles that share our islands are part of an ecosystem that evolved in balance with Maldivian life.

That balance is now under stress. Almost no natural habitat in the Maldives has zero human intervention and in many islands, the pressure of development, population growth, and climate change is taking a visible toll on the life that remains.

What is Threatening Our Land Ecosystems

Expanding Settlements and Development

As populations grow and islands develop, natural vegetation is cleared for housing, roads, harbours, and infrastructure. Land reclamation projects physically remove or smother island ecosystems. On densely populated islands, almost no undisturbed natural habitat remains.

Climate Change and Extreme Weather

Rising temperatures place stress on vegetation and certain bird species. Reduced and unpredictable rainfall weakens ecosystem health across the atolls. Extreme weather events — stronger storms, flooding, and prolonged heat damage fragile coastal vegetation that has little capacity to absorb repeated disturbance

Chemical Use and Waste

Extensive use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides in agriculture introduces toxins into island soils and freshwater lenses. Poorly managed waste including open burning, which is widespread — degrades the soil and air quality that plant and animal life depends on.

Invasive Species and Weak Monitoring

The introduction of non-native species, whether plants, animals, or insects can outcompete and displace native species. With limited monitoring capacity and data across the dispersed islands, invasive species can spread undetected. At the island level, local extinctions have already been documented through anecdotal evidence across the Maldives.

How It Affects Island Communities

Ways You Can Make a Difference

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Plant Native Species When replanting or landscaping, choose native and naturalized species. Native species support local birds, insects, and soil health in ways that introduced species cannot replicate.

Reduce Chemical Use Avoid or minimize the use of pesticides and chemical fertilizers in home gardens and agricultural plots.

Spread Awareness Talk to your family and community about why land biodiversity matters. Many people are unaware that endemic species exist on their island or that they are at risk. Awareness is the first step to protection.

Support Conservation Programmes Supporting conservation programmes, engaging with community initiatives, and supporting national effort are all ways to turn awareness into action. There is almost no natural habitat in the Maldives left untouched by human activity. That makes every effort to reduce pressure on what remains count for our communities, our culture, and future generations