Environmental and socio-economic impacts of agriculture in the Maldives: a 40-year evaluation of agricultural planning
As the human population continues to grow, the demand for agricultural production increases exponentially, driving widespread environmental degradation that manifests in soil erosion, pollution, and biodiversity loss on a global scale. Future projections suggest that by 2050, over 50% of the Earth’s...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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IOP Publishing
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Environmental Research Communications |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1088/2515-7620/adf37b |
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| Summary: | As the human population continues to grow, the demand for agricultural production increases exponentially, driving widespread environmental degradation that manifests in soil erosion, pollution, and biodiversity loss on a global scale. Future projections suggest that by 2050, over 50% of the Earth’s land will be converted for agricultural use, exacerbating existing environmental threats. While a substantial amount of research has examined the global impacts of agriculture, a notable gap remains in studies focused on small island nations, such as the Maldives—a geographically and ecologically unique area where agricultural practices differ significantly from those in other regions. To address this research gap, this study evaluates the impacts of agricultural planning in the Maldives over the past 40 years using the Rapid Impact Assessment Matrix (RIAM) in conjunction with the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). By combining these two methods, this study assessed the environmental and socio-economic impacts, as well as the net impact, of agricultural planning. The analysis revealed that agriculture has predominantly negative environmental impacts, with the use of agrochemicals and poor waste management emerging as the most detrimental factors. Conversely, the socio-economic impacts were relatively positive, particularly in terms of food security and employment. The net impact varied over time, with the most negative impacts observed in the mid-phase of agricultural planning. These findings suggest the need to adopt sustainable approaches in future agricultural planning, with a particular focus on minimizing agrochemical dependency and improving waste management practices. |
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| ISSN: | 2515-7620 |