Shaha Hashim | Blue Marine Foundation
Mui Six Senses Laamu
Working to protect the ocean as a marine conservationist in the Maldives, every day is different for Shaha Hashim.
Growing up on an island shaped by the sea, Shaha’s passion for the ocean was ignited from a young age when she joined a school swim squad and learnt life existed below the surface. Today, Shaha works as a manager on the BLUE project in Laamu. Working on everything from coral reef and seagrass conservation to fishermen and sustainable tourism in the Maldives, no day is the same for the team.
“Every day is quite different. I most enjoy being in the field working with community groups and doing biodiversity surveys in the water. I also spend quite a lot of time at the desk planning project activities, arranging logistics and communicating impacts. We are a small team so that requires a lot of multi-tasking and learning.”
During our visit to the Maldives and whilst working on the BLUE Laamu Six Senses campaign we were fortunate enough to work alongside Shaha, learning about her work and long term goal to see governments across the world take real climate action - curbing emissions and managing recourses sustainably.
Sea level rise caused by climate change is the biggest threat to the future of the Maldives. For these small islands, scattered in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the primary defense against sea level rise is the coral reefs that surround them. These diverse ecosystems protect the islands from wave action and storm surges. Yet thanks to human interference, the same reefs that might be able to protect the Maldives are under threat themselves.
Alongside BLUE and Six Senses Laamu, Shaha is working to introduce interventions that can be used to restore reefs back to their former health such as appropriate fisheries management and marine protected areas.
“For almost a year, myself and my colleague Ali Shareef, BLUE’s Laamu Research Assistant, have been working to develop an evidence based responsible fishing code of conduct for the fishermen who supply their catch to the resort.”
When asked who or what inspires her, Shaha replied “young people all over the world who are challenging the status quo and persevering through difficult situations for a better world”. After spending time with Shaha in Laamu, it was admiring to witness how Shaha lives in harmony with the environment and the community through the work she undertakes and the lifestyle she’s chosen for herself.
We’re forever inspired and thankful for individuals like Shaha who dedicate so much to ensuring a more resilient future to climate change impacts.
Location - The Maldives
Project - Mui Six Senses Laamu
Photographs - Matt Porteous
Website - www.bluemarinefoundation.com / www.maldivesunderwaterinitiative.com
Instagram - @nalamariyam
