Soneva Jani becomes Maldives’ first resort recognised as OECM
Soneva Jani has been formally recognised by the Maldives’ Ministry of Climate Change, Environment and Energy as an Other Effective Area-Based Conservation Measure (OECM), the first such designation awarded to any resort in the country.
This achievement places Soneva at the forefront of the country’s roadmap to its 30×30 target, which is part of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, an international commitment to conserve 30 percent of the world’s land, freshwaters and ocean by 2030.
OECMs are areas outside of designated protected areas that are governed and managed to deliver sustained, long-term, in-situ biodiversity conservation outcomes. The designation for Soneva Jani covers 0.41 square kilometres on the eastern side of Medhufaru island, including reef, beach and mangrove habitat. It follows a year of extensive ecological surveys, monitoring, mapping and documentation led by Soneva Conservation & Sustainability Maldives, with support from the Waitt Foundation and close operational collaboration from the Soneva Jani team.
The area is home to many threatened marine, avian and botanical species. It is a significant nesting site for critically endangered Hawksbill turtles and Green turtles. The mangrove and wetland ecosystems within the Soneva Jani OECM also provide indispensable ecological benefits that safeguard both the local environment and the broader climate. Its mangroves and wetlands contribute to shoreline protection, carbon storage, water regulation and habitat connectivity.
“Conservation and hospitality are often treated as competing priorities,” said Neil Gallagher, Chief Executive Officer of Soneva. “This recognition for Soneva Jani says otherwise. It shows that the relationship can be symbiotic, when the work backing the effort is real and sustained.”
This momentous recognition comes with a long-term commitment to continue conservation efforts. The status will be reviewed in five years, with annual monitoring and reporting.
“For the Maldives, conservation cannot be something that exists only on paper. This recognition reflects our commitment to demonstrating, year after year and through measurable evidence, that the way this area is managed is delivering real and sustained benefits for biodiversity,” said Dr Johanna Leonhardt, Director of Operations, Soneva Conservation and Sustainability Maldives. “The real achievement will be maintaining that standard over the long term and showing how tourism can actively strengthen conservation outcomes across the Maldives.”
This milestone tells a bigger story and sets a global standard for the luxury hospitality industry. It serves as a proof point that tourism efforts, when prioritised correctly, can fund and sustain long-term conservation work rather than compete with it.
